human determinant

Some critics believed that any association with Reich represented a betrayal, too, not only of the ni-Vanuatu but of anyone who believed that culture was as powerful a human determinant as the gene. Is Ancient DNA Research Revealing New Truths — or Falling Into Old Traps?

огромная статья в New York Times Magazine написана практически ради этого абзаца, ну и еще нескольких после него. вообще ее можно назвать частью smear campaign, теперь Reich будет долго отмываться. ну да ему не привыкать.

будет еще один shitstorm в twitter...

Peter Turchin's comments:

. The NYT article is not particularly well-written — too long and rambling, a lot of unnecessary details, flowery prose.
. What we need is not to nurture resentment (which the NYT article seems to do), but to work together.

see also Five Corrections to The New York Times @ David Reich Lab