Human skill level is more reactive to developmental history than to genes or environment

Human behaviour is influenced by genes, environment, and developmental history, but causally disentangling these influences remains challenging. Here we quantify the causal response of adult skill level to point influences earlier in development in a mechanistic in-silico replica of major aspects of human development and evolution. We find that adult skill level is more reactive to changes in developmental history than to genetic, environmental, or social changes in the genus Homo . We also find that adverse genetic and environmental conditions that would developmentally yield low adult skill level in humans can be compensated by time-specific environmental changes or by slight changes in developmental history, potentially yielding outstanding adult skill level. Our analyses identify a major capability of developmental history to influence adult human skill level.