Posted on 12/15/2005 10:05:07 PM PST by RWR8189
Scientists said yesterday that they have discovered a tiny genetic mutation that largely explains the first appearance of white skin in humans tens of thousands of years ago, a finding that helps solve one of biology's most enduring mysteries and illuminates one of humanity's greatest sources of strife.
The work suggests that the skin-whitening mutation occurred by chance in a single individual after the first human exodus from Africa, when all people were brown-skinned. That person's offspring apparently thrived as humans moved northward into what is now Europe, helping to give rise to the lightest of the world's races.
Leaders of the study, at Penn State University, warned against interpreting the finding as a discovery of "the race gene." Race is a vaguely defined biological, social and political concept, they noted, and skin color is only part of what race is -- and is not.
In fact, several scientists said, the new work shows just how small a biological difference is reflected by skin color. The newly found mutation involves a change of just one letter of DNA code out of the 3.1 billion letters in the human genome -- the complete instructions for making a human being.
"It's a major finding in a very sensitive area," said Stephen Oppenheimer, an expert in anthropological genetics at Oxford University, who was not involved in the work. "Almost all the differences used to differentiate populations from around the world really are skin deep."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I thought races were "merely a social construct" to be explained away.
And for that matter, they are implying that white skin confers survival advantage in some contexts.
Does this make the WaPo of the belief that whites are genetically superior?
Or was this merely meant to be published in Sen. Robert Byrd's (KKK -- WV) home town?
Can anybody imagine what would have happened if they would have said another shade was the greatest source of human strife?
Yee-uh. Pics, please? : P
Well, one problem with your problem is that recessive genes don't vanish, and in some cases no doubt thrive.
Assuming that a recessive gene appeared in one person, then the offspring of that person would have the recessive gene even if they did not express it. Some number of their offspring would also have the recessive gene, and sooner or later you will get individuals that express the recessive trait. If natural selection (including sexual selection) then favors those individuals then the gene will eventually predominate in the population.
Having 5 fingers is a recessive gene, the dominant is a smaller sixth between the ring and pinky fingers.
Lordy! The stuff of nightmares!
OK you Space Aliens! What the H*ll did you do with Michael Jackson??? Nice try, your Alien Abduction almost worked. But we are *not* fooled by your clone. We want the *real* Michael Jackson back NOW!
Or else...
I caught that too. I always wondered why us white folks can't dance, now I know....because we are a genetic mutation.
LOL
They don't vanish, but they may not appear again in a thousand years, or ten thousand years, if ever.
Well, it's safe to say this one reappeared with a vengeance. LOL
Damn. I'm a mutant.
Hmmm..., won't touch this line....
For some reason I don't believe this sentence for a second...
I wouldn't say it's safe to say. What if the mutant was sterile?
"Liberals" came out of the segregated South and the KKK. That is the fact of their history. Don't be suprised that they found power in hating a different race and reorganizing society to attack that race. They are just plain debasers and haters. They hate Christian white people the most.
Nah, I think the article is saying that racial differences are the "source of strife", not white skin per se. Until this mutation, the article says, everyone was black.
I don't think anyone else has yet mentioned another aspect of this discovery. Knowing where to look in the genome for these kinds of markers (skin color, eye color etc) could result in police being able to get a rough idea of who a perpetrator was from a DNA sample.
<-----honkey
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