GENES AND SOCIAL SKILLS

Evidence for one or more loci on the human X chromosome influencing so cial cognition was recently presented by Skuse ef al.((1)). The imprin ted locus is only expressed from a paternally inherited X chromosome, which means that boys do not express it because their only X chromosom e comes from their mother. This raises the possibility of genetic as w ell as cultural influences on sex differences in behaviour and cogniti on. It may also offer some explanation for why boys are more vulnerabl e to developmental disorders that affect social behaviour, such as aut ism.