Actually it has nothing to do with genetics as it has more to do with the spiritual aspect, we learn this within a Stargate Atlantis episode where the Atlantis Expedition come across some people on a planet who have near Ascension abilities these people are very primitive minded however they're also very spiritual and were guided to Ascension.

And I believe that it was Colonel Shepard who help them understand this aspect just before they ascended.

Also in the series it's said several times through Oma Dasala that anyone can do it on their own, given they are prepared for it mentally and physically.

Your brain only needs to be 90% active in order to achieve near Ascension to ascend. This doesn't mean that you have to be incredibly smart, otherwise these people wouldn't have made it on their own.

Their advanced abilities show that it has to do with genetics, Sheppard could have meditated however long he wanted and he would have never been able to ascend as he wasn't prepared physically as in his DNA wasn't advanced enough.

As described in "Tao of Rodney" 90% brain activity only happens when your DNA has been reworked to allow for it, or your species develops to that point on their own

Oberoth20·

I think there are multiple possible ways for ascending. The first is actually being mentally prepared for Ascension. Jackson actually states somewhere that Buddha is probably one of the first of the Tau'ri to ascend, and although its implicitly stated that high synaptic activity is a great help to ascending (all that is needed after that is meditation), it is not required. The first method is pure meditation. Although I'm not exactly sure how it works, the combination of meditation and essentially having the proper state of mind helps ascend. We see this in the SGA Time dilation episode with the Cloister and the monster, and although we arent explicitly told these people aren't Ancients, I'm pretty sure they refer to them as "The Ancestors" once, refering the to the Ancients, meaning they are regular old baseline humans.

Of course, there is also natural evolution, which brings the body to 90% synaptic activity. This natural course of evolution however, was accelerated with Rodney, and because it didn't work as well as it should of, it left him with essentially only 2 options: Ascend and survive, or die because your brain and body cannot handle the stress of 100% synaptic activity. The Ori probably evolved to the point of Ascension, and I think that was also mentioned a couple times before too, however Ascension isnt only accessible via evolution, and regular old people can also do it, albeit rarely and with considerable effort.

What I am sure of however, is that the Ori Ascended after the Ancients. It is implicitly stated that the Ori have tried (and failed) many times to invade the Milky Way, and the Ancients (which have already ascended) fend them off. This means we know the Ascended Ancients are aware of Ascended Ori, and can combat them with ease. It also kind of makes sense that way too, as if Ancients and Ori originally split after millions of years, they probably look different too. The only way the Ori would of learned about Ancients and in turn, humans, is if they visited the Milky Way galaxy and saw them inhabiting the planets there. These baseline humans in the Alterran galaxy were made by the Ori who "copied" the design from Milky Way humans and took them to the Alterran Home Galaxy to gain power, making prostration and Priors with them.

I'm confused too when and where it is stated that the Ori have tried and failed several times.

They didn't know about the Milky Way galaxy up until the point of Daniel and Vala showing up using the stones.

I assume the prior staff had something to do with that when Valas body was mended back together by the prior.

Because there's no other explanation at least that I know of in the show.

Also I have to mention that one other reason why these humans don't appear to be changed by any evolution process was because the Ori kept their followers in the dark, essentially It was easier to have followers that didn't have any capability or understanding of Technology as it was forbidden by the Ori because they wanted to keep their power.

The Ori extract power from Those whom worship them, At least that's how it works in the lore of the show, and the ascended beings within the Milky Way galaxy we're so fervently against intervention of helping the lower planes, when it came down to their own ascended helping the lower planes to ascend, that the others made it a permanent rule to not help the lower planes when it came to Ascension or helping with advancements in technology.

However we don't know how long this rule has existed, if you guys remember the ascended Orlan who was infatuated by Carter that he essentially descended himself into human form just so that he could meet her.

Anyway the story about how he helped a planet defend themselves by helping them create technology that they could use for defense of their planet, eventually one day they decided to start targeting other planets and the other ascended beings intervened causing orlan to witness the destruction of this world as of the device he helped them build overloaded and wiped everyone out on the planet.

That was his punishment and to remain there forever.

We are unsure of how long he was on that planet, or when that disaster befell on that planet, but when Orlon descended himself into human form it was so long that he hasn't been in human form that he wasn't even sure what species he was to begin with when he was in a mortal being.

Very odd dialogue and choice of words considering he was once one of the Alteran at one point in the past, who eventually ascended, when they met him in the show, Perhaps the others erased that part of his memory as well.

His punishment was to stay on that planet essentially forever up until the point when he met Samantha Carter and followed the team through the Stargate.

Orlin wasn't forced to stay on that planet, he just chose to do so, his only job was to see to it that no one else used the weapon.

I don't remember the part about him not knowing what species he was previously, but I think it's hinted at in season 9 when we meet him that he was an Ancient.

Also we know that the rule existed for at least 10,000 years due to the Ascended that fell for Sheppard and was stuck protecting her planet from the Wraith for all time.

What's going on? Why can I not see the posts anymore? Also it seems like I am unable to post on this website anymore or make new posts for that matter.

Strange, I'm still able to post replies and see all the posts

It seems to be working now. Maybe there was some weird update that only effected a few folks.