Scientists Find A DNA Change That Accounts For White Skin

Washington Post ^ | December 16, 2005 | Rick Weiss

[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."

[Slings and Arrows]

Michael Jackson just signed up as a test subject.

[Mr. Rational]

It's just shocking that the same gene that controls skin color also controls jumping ability.

(Sorry - I couldn't help myself).

[Reactionary]

"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."

White skin is one of "humanity's greatest sources of strife," huh?

What racist garbage.

[txhurl]

BTTT.

As a blonde, blue-eyed, light-skinned girl, I always wondered what the hell I was selected for for living on this planet.

[A6M3]

And swimming ability.

[burzum]

From what I've heard, as humans started migrating north from Africa they came up upon impinging ice sheets in an ice age. The probability of breaking bones greatly increased in the rougher terrain so there was an advantage to anything that could make the bones stronger, such as lightening so that more vitamin D could be made. Additionally less radiant heat would be emitted at night due to the lower emissivity of white skin (which gave an advantage in the coldest of nights).

[Sofa King]

You might find this interesting.

[Herakles]

"Leaders of the study, at Penn State University"

Great, now Graham Spanier (Penn State President) can correct the malfunctioning mutant "white" gene and make us all minorities, making him and his wacko leftist buddies on campus sleep better at night knowing they, without leaving the confines of their books and red brick towers to do any real work, have made mankind safe and equal as it should be (in their eyes)!

[GeronL]

According to the Washington Post white skin is one of humanity's greatest sources of strife.

How about them apples??

A major media outlet has just announced that white skin is the problem.

[GeronL]

That was my reaction too. The WASHPOST is letting their bias show again. Somebody get this to Rush and the other talk show hosts out there.

[SteveMcKing]

Biochmical synthesis of melanin has been studied to death. That they found some gene and put it in an evolutionary context is only slightly interesting... not much of a rock concert, really.

[Delta 21]

Sounds like evolution to me. Does this mean that white people are more evolved than all the other races, or are we all just mutants?

[A6M3]

There is only one problem with these donkeys theory. White skin genes aren't dominant.

[dangus]

That simply is NOT how genetics worked. If skin tone were one gene, everyone would be pitch black or Swesdish white, and would be dominant or recessive. The fact that there are so many ranges of skin color means that it has to be a product of many genes.

[dangus]

Aesthetically pleasing?

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Sow how do they explain Eminem?

[dangus]

>> There is only one problem with these donkeys theory. White skin genes aren't dominant <<

Actually, most spot mutations are recessive. The problem is that skin color is not recessive or dominant

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

[demlosers]

"...a finding that helps solve one of biology's most enduring mysteries and illuminates one of humanity's greatest sources of strife."

I agree; BS garbage.