Francis Galton 18221911

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Francis Galton (1822-1911)

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Background

• Galton was born in England into a family of
  considerable wealth.
• Entered Cambridge to obtain a medical degree, but
  graduated with a liberal arts degree instead.
• Traveled extensively in Africa and the Middle
  East. Produced first accurate maps of central
  Africa.
• Began corresponding with his cousin Darwin in
  1853.

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Achievements

• Awarded a Fellowship at the Royal Geographical
  Society.
• Drew some of the first weather maps and
  discovered the importance of low an high pressure
  gradients in weather prediction.
• Invented several instruments to measure various
  meteorological factors.
• Pioneered the use of finger prints to identify
  individuals.

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Here is the Cover Piece to one of Galtons books
on Fingerprinting.
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Galtons obsession with counting

• Studied effectiveness of prayer (didnt find it
  effective)
• Created a beauty map of Britain
• Measured boredom of scientific lectures

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Galton and Darwin

• It was widely held in Victorian-era England that
  the aristocracy was the product of good
  breeding.
• When The Origin of Species came out in 1859
  Galton used evolutionary theory to develop his
  own ideas concerning individual differences.
• Study of Intelligence, Hereditary Genius, 1869
  Thesis natural ability, eminence, and
  inheritance Evidence 1.  normal distribution
  and 2.  family pedigrees
• Implication eugenics

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Galton and the Mechanism of Inheritance

• During Galtons time DNA, genes and chromosomes
  were unknown.
• Darwin had proposed that the mechanism of
  inheritance was pangenesis, in which gemmules in
  bodily fluids mixed during mating.
• Galton tested this in a series of experiments
  involving blood transfusions in rabbits.
• What do you think his results were?

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Galtons Methods

• The Survey In the 1870s Galton wrote a
  questionnaire and distributed it to 180 fellows
  of the Royal Society.
• The survey asked respondents to describe their
  personalities, physical attributes, family
  characteristics and the details of their
  up-bringing.
• English Men of Science Their Nature and Nurture
  (1874/52)

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Galton and Statistics

• Galton developed a mathematical equation for
  measuring the strength and direction of the
  linear relationship between two variables.
• His student Karl Pearson developed the equation
  that we use today.
• The Pearson Product Moment Correlation
  Coefficient is used in Behavioral Genetics.
• The correlation coefficient is generally denoted
  as r

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Galtons Methods

• The Twin Study
• Galton was the first to use twins to investigate
  hereditary questions.
• Galton sent questionnaires to 94 pairs of twins.
• Eugenics
• The concept that society should take active steps
  towards improving its genetic material.

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Eugenics

• Galton believed that society should promote the
  reproduction of talented and intelligent
  individuals Positive Eugenics.
• He also believed that society should restrict the
  reproduction of below average individuals
  Negative Eugenics.
• To that end Galton founded a Anthropometric
  Laboratory in 1880 and The Eugenics Society in
  1908.
• The Eugenics movement found a sympathetic ear in
  the United States.

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Anthropometric Measurements

• Keenness of Sight and of Hearing Color Sense
  Visual Acuity Breathing Power Reaction Times
  Strength of Pull and of Squeeze Force of Blow
  Span of Arms Height, both standing and sitting
  Weight

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Eugenics

• During the early 19 century it was held that the
  environment contributed to degeneracy.
• Onanism
• After the publication of Galtons work the view
  turned towards heredity as the casual factor.
• Rediscovery of Mendels work
• Charles Davenport- Initially interested in
  agricultural genetics.
• Developed the lab at Cold Springs Harbor
• Several decent studies on eye color.

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Eugenics

• The Big Fear Highly desirable families have
  few children. Less desirable families have more.
• Problem If behavioral traits are inherited how
  does the eugenicist identify the good ones from
  the bad?
• Problems with measurement
• Subjectivity

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The traits

• Alcoholism
• Sexual immorality
• Wanderlust
• Feeblemindedness
• Degeneracy

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Eugenics becomes Popular

• Strong eugenics movements in US, Germany and
  Scandinavia.
• Fitter Family Contests
• Biology Textbooks
• 1906, J.H. Kellog Race Betterment Foundation
• Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, Brown offer eugenics
  courses.

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Eugenics Legalized

• Bans against Interracial marriage
• Racial Integrity Act
• White if less than 1/16 N.A.
• Sterilization
• 1924-3,000
• 1930-8,300
• 1970- Still permitted in institutions

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Where did eugenics go?

• Effect of WWII/Holocaust
• What is the difference between Behavioral
  Genetics and Eugenics?