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To: Smartaleck
"Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people."

Yes, and we have, as I recall, 95% to 97% commonality with chimpanzees, as well.

"What percent do you think it will be?"

My guess is that it'll be in the 99.9999% or greater fraction. Which number has no validity, as we don't yet have sufficient complete genome data available to identify the "race-specific" gene clusters. It is, however, self-evident that such clusters and characteristics are there, and quite real.

24 posted on 03/14/2005 7:25:25 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: Wonder Warthog

"Which number has no validity, as we don't yet have sufficient complete genome data available to identify the "race-specific" gene clusters"

Depends on how much of a racist one is (and I don't mean that in the pejoritive sense of the word but as a matter of study of the differences between humans.)

At some point you get into what percent a person is of one race or another and it gets down right silly.

For example, what percent of any race does Tiger Woods, or Baraka Obama have to be to be called either one race or another? 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/50th? Are there any people who are 100% Native Americna Indians? Even if we can decide on a percent, for what purpose?




27 posted on 03/14/2005 7:43:16 AM PST by Smartaleck
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To: Wonder Warthog
Yes, and we have, as I recall, 95% to 97% commonality with chimpanzees, as well.

I read somewhere that the genetic difference between an human and a chimpanzee is less than that between an African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) which a lot of people can't tell apart.

65 posted on 03/14/2005 10:10:21 PM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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