Discusses how genetic data on present human population relationships and data from the Pleistocene fossil hominid record are being used to compare two contrasting models for the origin of modern humans. (TW)

A review of current literature suggests that many cases of autism may well have both environmental and genetic etiologies and that more than one genetic locus is likely. Some evidence suggests that some genetic abnormality of language or sociability is inherited which then interacts with other factors to produce autism. (DB)

The author considers cerebral dominance and brain asymmetry, the development of the cerebral cortex and examples of aberrancy, and diseases of the immune system, all of which relate to recent anatomical and epidemiological findings in developmental dyslexia. These discoveries have led to testable hypotheses which may enhance current understandings…

A critical evaluation of the relevant literature provides some support for an association between depression and chronic pain. Common conceptual and methodological problems are discussed. Current biological and psychological models of the mechanisms by which the two syndromes may interact are summarized, and suggestions are made for future…

Children (N=434) with nonsyndromic mental retardation were analysed for frequency of prenatal, perinatal and infantile biological disturbances. Mildly retarded individuals of unrelated parentage, both idiopathic and familial, had a strikingly higher prevalence of disturbances than a control group of retarded individuals with consanguineous parents…

Nine males with Klinefelter's syndrome (XXY) and seven XYY males, located primarily in prisons and psychiatric hospitals, were administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. (Author/KW)

The behavior of 10 newborn babies given pacifiers in response to spontaneous empty sucking, rooting, and mouthing was compared to that of 10 controls. Observations, conducted at 24-hour intervals for four days, began 2 hours before and concluded 1 hour after feedings. (RH)

Literature is reviewed on biobehavioral state and orienting (the reflex alerting to a novel stimuli and resulting in physiological arousal) in an attempt to identify conditions that are prerequisite to or facilitate learning in the profoundly retarded. Several areas are identified where further research is needed. (Author)

Language is not, as commonly believed, a biologically arbitrary assemblage of processes that are not themselves linguistic. Rather, language consists of specialized processes of phonetic perception that conform to the acoustic consequences of the way that articulatory movements are regulated. (Author/GC)

Evidence from cross cultural studies and observational studies are provided to support the contentions that males are more aggressive than females and that this sex difference is evident as early as the preschool years. (Author/MP)

Written in response to an earlier article questioning certain aspects of evolution theory. Discusses ontogeny and phylogeny, the basis of evolution, chance or purpose in evolution, micro and macro-evolution, reversibility, and the evolution processes today. (MA)

Studies have shown that students understand material better and do better on tests at their preferred time of day. About 33% of high school students have no time-of-day preferences, fewer than 10% favor morning, fewer than 10% favor late morning, 15% prefer afternoon, and 15 percent prefer evening. Some have multiple time preferences. A…

Finds several difficulties with the theory advanced by R. Howard and shows that alternative explanations relating to changes in the chess environment, including increased access to chess knowledge, offer better explanations for the increased presence of young players at top-level chess. (SLD)