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People with ADHD-like traits may have an evolutionary advantage when it comes to finding food in the wild.
In a new experiment, researchers found that individuals with distinguishing qualities of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, like difficulty regulating where they focus their attention, and restlessness, have better foraging strategies than those with more neurotypical traits.
The findings have researchers speculating that ADHD evolved as an adaptive survival strategy - one that hinders resource exploitation in the same spot and instead favors exploration of new spots. This could possibly explain why ADHD is so prevalent in the human population today, impacting hundreds of millions worldwide.
"If [these traits] were truly negative, then you would think that over evolutionary time, they would be selected against," neuroscientist David Barack of the University of Pennsylvania told Nicola Davis at The Guardian.
www.sciencealert.com
In a new experiment, researchers found that individuals with distinguishing qualities of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, like difficulty regulating where they focus their attention, and restlessness, have better foraging strategies than those with more neurotypical traits.
The findings have researchers speculating that ADHD evolved as an adaptive survival strategy - one that hinders resource exploitation in the same spot and instead favors exploration of new spots. This could possibly explain why ADHD is so prevalent in the human population today, impacting hundreds of millions worldwide.
"If [these traits] were truly negative, then you would think that over evolutionary time, they would be selected against," neuroscientist David Barack of the University of Pennsylvania told Nicola Davis at The Guardian.
ADHD Traits May Have Evolved to Provide Foraging Advantages, Study Says
People with ADHD-like traits may have an evolutionary advantage when it comes to finding food in the wild.
www.sciencealert.com
