Like most aspects of human behavior and cognition, intelligence is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. ... These studies suggest that genetic factors underlie about 50 percent of the difference in intelligence among individuals.

Is IQ genetic or learned?

Researchers have previously shown that a person's IQ is highly influenced by genetic factors, and have even identified certain genes that play a role. They've also shown that performance in school has genetic factors. But it's been unclear whether the same genes that influence IQ also influence grades and test scores.

Is genius inherited?

Genius parents don't beget genius babies, and there's no “genius gene.” Genetics is part of the mix, but only part. “Much of the literature concludes that hereditary factors play a minor role at best in the determination of creativity,” University of Minnesota psychologist Niels Waller wrote in Psychological Inquiry.