- #1
Adam
- 65
- 1
Genetic basis for "race"?
Now, I'm not sure if "race" is in any way a proper term in biology. However, I've seen a few threads here and there by Carlos Hernandez, and now I'm curious.
There are differences among humans based on where we, and our ancestors, are from. Average heights, formations of teeth, skull shapes, et cetera. These differences do exist. In fact, they are noticable to the extent that coroners use them to identify decomposed bodies during examinations. They check the teeth, for example, and can tell by their shape what the person's "race" was.
Such differences as skin colour are based in our genes. We don't spontaneously develop different skin colours due to some idiot roling dice after we're born. Our genes determine this physical factor of our makeup, and others.
I don't consider any group inherently superior to another overall. However, among other animals, it is easy to see how one variety is superior to another in its home environment. For example, the small ponies in Mongolia are superior in Mongolia to Clydesdales, whereas a Clydesdale would kick the crap out of one of those ponies if, for some whacky reason, it was fightin' time. I think it is quite clear that darker skin pigmentation is superior for places which receive greater amounts of sunlight. However, I don't think that idea fully explains the distribution of differences among humans. Some of the darkest skin can be found in mountain villages in New Guinea, which receive rather low amounts of sunlight due to shadow from the mountains and high cloud cover.
So, my questions...
1) In formal biology terminology, is the word "race" used? If so, what is its proper definition?
2) Do environmental conditions explain all differences among humans such as skin colour, skeletal differences, et cetera? Or for explanation must we also look to the diet available within an individual animal's lifetime? Must we also take into account things a loooooooooooooong time ago such as interbreeding between Homo Sapiens and Neanderthal, and other such hybridisation in other regions?
PS: Sorry if this has all been covered before. I know nothing about biology, and those other threads sparked my curiousity.
Now, I'm not sure if "race" is in any way a proper term in biology. However, I've seen a few threads here and there by Carlos Hernandez, and now I'm curious.
There are differences among humans based on where we, and our ancestors, are from. Average heights, formations of teeth, skull shapes, et cetera. These differences do exist. In fact, they are noticable to the extent that coroners use them to identify decomposed bodies during examinations. They check the teeth, for example, and can tell by their shape what the person's "race" was.
Such differences as skin colour are based in our genes. We don't spontaneously develop different skin colours due to some idiot roling dice after we're born. Our genes determine this physical factor of our makeup, and others.
I don't consider any group inherently superior to another overall. However, among other animals, it is easy to see how one variety is superior to another in its home environment. For example, the small ponies in Mongolia are superior in Mongolia to Clydesdales, whereas a Clydesdale would kick the crap out of one of those ponies if, for some whacky reason, it was fightin' time. I think it is quite clear that darker skin pigmentation is superior for places which receive greater amounts of sunlight. However, I don't think that idea fully explains the distribution of differences among humans. Some of the darkest skin can be found in mountain villages in New Guinea, which receive rather low amounts of sunlight due to shadow from the mountains and high cloud cover.
So, my questions...
1) In formal biology terminology, is the word "race" used? If so, what is its proper definition?
2) Do environmental conditions explain all differences among humans such as skin colour, skeletal differences, et cetera? Or for explanation must we also look to the diet available within an individual animal's lifetime? Must we also take into account things a loooooooooooooong time ago such as interbreeding between Homo Sapiens and Neanderthal, and other such hybridisation in other regions?
PS: Sorry if this has all been covered before. I know nothing about biology, and those other threads sparked my curiousity.