The divesity of human races is on the close order of 0.1%. I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express or whatever--that's from an article posted here earlier today.
Considering that there have been many millions of years by evolutionist reckoning...it's remarkably little.
95% is more like it that is if you are just taking a code for code comparison which is not necessarily the best way to determine functional similiarity. A %5 difference is sizable when we realize we are talking %5 of 3 billion base pairs. That is why one has to be careful in how such differences are minimized. Also a recent study confirmed that the increase in brain size was a special event involving a rapid series of complex advantegous changes in several genes rather than a series of simple changes as previously thought. I think what is often ignored is that common design may be more the rule than common ancestry. Many similiar genetic features have arisen in populations that are distinct. When working from bones alone one could easily mistake a tasmanian wolf(now extinct) for a member of the canine family. I'm not saying that human beings don't have any monkey heritage but I also don't believe that the huge differences between apes and man in cognitive ability and capability can be explained by random mutations combined with natural selection pressures. There just isn't enough time for it also many of the adaptations were not advantageous from a physical standpoint and would've placed early man at a disadvantage, men are far weaker than apes, a common chimp can easily tear one limb from limb if it so desired. One might say modern man lost such strength after he became civilized, but that is not supported by the bone evidence which suggests modern man hasn't changed much in 250,000 years. The muscles attach the same, the bones weren't bigger or thicker to accomodate greater muscle mass so we are left with a big question, was modern man's intelligence alone enough to allow the first modern infants to survive grow to adulthood and reproduce? The crossing of the bridge between ape-like man and humans is a short but deep gap. And the idea that modern humans had the clear advantage becomes less clear the more we look at the transition period and what would've been required to make that leap. The one thing that is certain is the leap had to be made, weak infants with "higher intelligence" survived, managed to interbreed and survive and create isolated successful communities, weapons et., while more robust HomoErectus and Neandrethals, creatures that had similar brain capacity and immense physical strength, disappeared.
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/monkeywire/2002-September/000250.html