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."

[Cheburashka]

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.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

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.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

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

[evets]

I want my tail back...

[cyborg]

Causcasian doesn't mean white.

[cyborg]

I thought that was Paul Ciniraj who posts here!

[CarrotAndStick]

I know.

[cyborg]

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

[cyborg]

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.

[null and void]

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)...

[Centurion2000]

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.

[null and void]

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...

[b_sharp]

Thanks Junior, you beat me to it.

[Bear_Slayer]

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!"

[edcoil]

"when all people were brown-skinned"

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

[Old Professer]

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

[Baraonda]

Race is real.

[Baraonda]

>>"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.

[SauronOfMordor]

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

[VadeRetro]

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.