"having the profile of what we now call A.D.H.D. would have made you a Paleolithic success story"

I did not see this slam of agriculture coming in this article: A Natural Fix for A.D.H.D.

Consider that humans evolved over millions of years as nomadic hunter-gatherers. It was not until we invented agriculture, about 10,000 years ago, that we settled down and started living more sedentary — and boring — lives. As hunters, we had to adapt to an ever-changing environment where the dangers were as unpredictable as our next meal. In such a context, having a rapidly shifting but intense attention span and a taste for novelty would have proved highly advantageous in locating and securing rewards — like a mate and a nice chunk of mastodon. In short, having the profile of what we now call A.D.H.D. would have made you a Paleolithic success story.

In fact, there is modern evidence to support this hypothesis. There is a tribe in Kenya called the Ariaal, who were traditionally nomadic animal herders. More recently, a subgroup split off and settled in one location, where they practice agriculture. Dan T. A. Eisenberg, an anthropologist at the University of Washington, examined the frequency of a genetic variant of the dopamine type-four receptor called DRD4 7R in the nomadic and settler groups of the Ariaal. This genetic variant makes the dopamine receptor less responsive than normal and is specifically linked with A.D.H.D. Dr. Eisenberg discovered that the nomadic men who had the DRD4 7R variant were better nourished than the nomadic men who lacked it. Strikingly, the reverse was true for the Ariaal who had settled: Those with this genetic variant were significantly more underweight than those without it.

edit... OK here's a weird thing. The URL works fine in the Preview but not when Submitted.

I think it is so, cj.....at least I think it could help be a 'permaculture success story'. Lots of challenges in many directions.
when an extended family member was diagnosed with ADHD my husband and I read up a bunch about it and soon recognized ourselves. So many things began making sense. We are from a generation before ADHD was diagnosed so readily and I think of it as being so fortunate.
I know there are many instances were medication to control is a life saver (as with our relative) but I think that for too long the misuse and overuse was so unnecessary and inhibiting for many.
...and not to make light of the disorder... I also just recently thought that that might be what happened to music in the eighties....

Just like when we domesticate a turkey or chicken, cow, sheep, or whatever, many of the natural instincts get lost in the transition.

Mankind has evolved into a more sedentary lifestyle, but few keep the skill set of instincts needed for survival in a hunter/gatherer situation. Perhaps the A.D.H.D 'sufferers' are those who have not lost all of their natural instincts. Is mother nature holding them in reserve so that if/when TSHTF, we, as a species, can continue as a viable species? Perhaps, they are the fortunate ones...the chosen people.

I once heart Thom Hartmann, on the radio, talk about his ADD and new research showing it's prehistoric roots. He's updated his book to include some of the latest info.
http://www.amazon.com/Attention-Deficit-Disorder-Different-Perception/dp/1887424148/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415156797&sr=1-4&keywords=thom+hartmann+books

One of the big reasons I want to quit my desk job and start doing permaculture farming full time is because of my ADHD. All my activities outside of work are ones where I am constantly barraged with inputs and never get to focus on one thing for more than a short while. But at my work, I have to spend significant amounts of time on single tasks day after day. Once I realized what and who I am, I had a choice of either medicating my self to be like the office drones so that I could succeed at my job, or I could focus on making a new job where my ADHD would actually be an asset. Nothing seemed to fit until I found permaculture. Function stacking is exactly how my brain works. I am never just doing one thing at any given time.

My issue is ADD - no H for sure! I actually am going to have to change something at my homestead because I have way too much going on right now:
LGD puppies
Pigs that I may breed
Cows
Sheep
Chickens hiding eggs resulting in too many roosters
Turkeys
Tilapia in the living room
Shiitake cultivation
Lots of new trees planted
whoops - bees, I forgot to add the bees!

And a temporary seasonal job 3-11:30 for 2/3 days a week. It's kind of a relief to not think about the homestead for 8 hours and I do appreciate it more on non-working days.