Hi Larry,

You raise a great question.  If beekeepers are behaviorally different from the general population, can we legitimately compare beekeepers to everyone else as a "random subset"?

Until now, it has been difficult to associate behavioral characteristics with structurally-based aspects of the individual.  What I mean is, an enzyme or a trait like hair color can be (and has been) mapped to specific genes in the DNA of individuals.  When two genes are next to each other on a chromosome, we say they are "linked", because the chance that recombination (reallocation) of those genes through a phenomenon called "crossing over" (switching of genes between chromosomes that occurs during the long dormant phase of human eggs) is low.

So that means if two genes are linked, where you see one trait the other is probably there too.

In the case of behaviors, little has been figured out as far as how personality traits map to the genetic profile.  So far, we know that most personality traits are polygenetic (meaning a number of genes are involved) so that it will probably be impossible to "link" any one behavior to a specific molecular defect such as red-green color blindness.

So without evidence that "being introverted" is specifically and uniquely linked to the X chromosome (where the problem with red-green colorblindness resides) we have to *assume* that the two are not linked, thus, even though beekeepers tend to be introverted, where their vision is concerned, we must assume that they are a random assortment of the general population.  If you look at the table in that link I sent, you'll see that there are racial differences in the incidence of red-green color blindness, in addition to sexual differences.

Best wishes,

Christina

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