The increased heritability of later maturing areas such as the prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyri, and superior parietal lobes parallels the increase of heritability in cognitive features such as IQ and language abilities associated with these areas (Plomin et al., 1997). One implication is that studies using brain morphometry as an endophenotype to link genes and behavior will need to consider age in the analysis, as brain structural elements may be suitable at one developmental stages but not another. Our findings are also congruent with evidence from other fields that different brain regions may be particularly sensitive to environmental factors at specific periods during childhood and adolescence.
