outcome, this means that developmental scientists have much to offer in terms of further characterizing the risk associated with identified genes, studying how genetic risk unfolds across development, the mediating processes by which risk unfolds, and what environments moderate risk among those carrying genetic susceptibilities. The importance of this line of research cannot be understated, and many projects of this sort are underway. However, the vast majority of extant studies by developmental scientists continue to focus on a small number of purportedly functional polymorphisms from a small handful of genes. The literature is dominated by studies of purportedly functional polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (5HTTLPR), the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA-LPR), and the dopaminergic receptor gene DRD2 and adjacent region (TaqI A). It is nearly impossible to believe that, with nearly 4.5 million validated polymorphic positions currently identified in the human genome, those can be the only ones of interest for developmental science! Rather, these polymorphisms rose to prominence based largely on chance – they were polymorphisms discovered early with preliminary data suggesting that they altered function in candidate genes thought to be of interest for relevant behavioral phenotypes. It is certainly not our intention to argue that these
