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Scientists Find A DNA Change That Accounts For White Skin
Washington Post ^ | December 16, 2005 | Rick Weiss

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: biology; crevolist; dna; genetics; godsgravesglyphs; jacko; multiregionalism; neandertal; pigment; skin; skincolor; skinpigment
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To: grey_whiskers
Light skin has advantages in some climates, dark skin has advantages in others. It depends on where you are living.

This doesn't mean that either shade is superior to the other.

Also, when the story says they found the one gene that controls skin color, I suspect that it only proves one or both of two things.

1) The reporter didn't understand what he was being told.

2) The editor didn't understand what was told to the reporter and edited the story into drivel.

Most likely: both 1) and 2) are true.
81 posted on 12/16/2005 7:29:20 AM PST by Cheburashka
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To: Cronos
Then what about their attacks on Condi?

They hate her most of all because she doesn't play their "stay on the government dole plantation" game.

82 posted on 12/16/2005 7:29:51 AM PST by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Yes, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up posting that comparison, especially on this thread! :-)


83 posted on 12/16/2005 7:31:11 AM PST by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
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To: RWR8189
I want my tail back...

84 posted on 12/16/2005 7:32:06 AM PST by evets (God bless president Bush!)
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To: furball4paws; CarrotAndStick

Causcasian doesn't mean white.


85 posted on 12/16/2005 7:35:07 AM PST by cyborg (Polar Bear Club of One)
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To: CarrotAndStick

I thought that was Paul Ciniraj who posts here!


86 posted on 12/16/2005 7:36:23 AM PST by cyborg (Polar Bear Club of One)
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To: cyborg

I know.


87 posted on 12/16/2005 7:36:35 AM PST by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
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To: txflake

To endure the hate and jealousy of brunettes around the world!


88 posted on 12/16/2005 7:37:36 AM PST by cyborg (Polar Bear Club of One)
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To: CarrotAndStick

That was really for that other freeper. I just notice that some do think that being designated caucasian means you're white. White like Martha Stewart white. It's a weird social construct and could be a good thing to study in college if so many liberals weren't in charge.


89 posted on 12/16/2005 7:39:02 AM PST by cyborg (Polar Bear Club of One)
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To: txflake
As a blonde, blue-eyed, light-skinned girl, I always wondered what the hell I was selected for for living on this planet.

'sok, my daughter is a blonde, blue-eyed, light-skinned girl.

I'm sure she's from another planet.

(although that may just be because she's a teenager)...

90 posted on 12/16/2005 7:42:29 AM PST by null and void (Peace on Earth. Death to the Terrorists...)
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To: goresalooza
I caught that too. I always wondered why us white folks can't dance, now I know....because we are a genetic mutation.

Looks like a pretty dominant mutation then.

91 posted on 12/16/2005 7:43:47 AM PST by Centurion2000 ((Aubrey, Tx) --- America, we get the best government corporations can buy.)
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To: Delta 21
Does this mean that white people are more evolved than all the other races, or are we all just mutants?

I'll take mutants for $1000, Alex...

92 posted on 12/16/2005 7:44:11 AM PST by null and void (Peace on Earth. Death to the Terrorists...)
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To: Junior

Thanks Junior, you beat me to it.


93 posted on 12/16/2005 7:46:24 AM PST by b_sharp (Science adjusts theories to fit evidence, creationism distorts evidence to fit the Bible.)
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To: NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
He is so bizare. He looks like the subject in Picasso or Dali painting.

I can't imagine his thought process. Did he actually look in a mirror and say, 'I look good!"

94 posted on 12/16/2005 7:46:47 AM PST by Bear_Slayer
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To: Bear_Slayer

"when all people were brown-skinned"

Bet asians (Yellow) might have a problem with this basic idea.


95 posted on 12/16/2005 7:48:16 AM PST by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: RWR8189

I've been warning everybody since I've been here that evolution is not necessarily progress.


96 posted on 12/16/2005 7:48:46 AM PST by Old Professer (Fix the problem, not the blame!)
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To: RWR8189

Race is real.


97 posted on 12/16/2005 7:49:05 AM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
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To: edcoil

>>"when all people were brown-skinned"

>Bet asians (Yellow) might have a problem with this basic idea.

And so do white.

This article is a lot of hogwash.


98 posted on 12/16/2005 7:50:31 AM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
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To: 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.

Exactly. Besides melanin content, we have nose shape, hair (kinky vs straight), eye color, susceptibility to malaria, bone density (Africans have denser bones, which helps with running, but impedes ability to swim), etc, etc

99 posted on 12/16/2005 7:52:24 AM PST by SauronOfMordor (A planned society is most appealing to those with the hubris to think they will be the planners)
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To: PatrickHenry
Thread's all wuked up, but I'll ping "the few" ...

So there's a genetic basis for skin color. Duh!

Discouraging how people are reacting to this. Ugly thread. Ugly.

100 posted on 12/16/2005 7:52:53 AM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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