Question

The overriding theme of biology and evolution is VARIATION! And yet, biologists often avoid applying these principles to human populations. There are, of course, differences found between the geographic populations of humans, and those differences are disappearing as gene flow continues to occur. What are your thoughts on this? Remember, not only are physical, genetic differences fading, but cultural and ethnic differences are as well.

Answer 1

The fundamental concept of biology is variation and adaptation. Human evolution has been a fantastic journey from primate world to high towers of Manhattan. Humans has evolved from African roots and then spread across the globe. Several independent findings have also pointed s appearance of human in far islands and distant places from Africa, almost at the same time.

We divide human population is several races such as African, European, Asian, Oceanic and Native American. But these races are more of cultural than biological. The scientific evidences have not found any evidence of race specific genes, or alleles. All that science has concluded is geographical variations due to adaptations and needs, but there is no specific gene for that. Cultural differences among people of different continent and language has led to the concept of race. The main features of so called race are hair, skin colour .etc have no single allele or gene basis. An American playing guitar is culturally different African playing drums, but there is no gene for that! It’s just the upbringing. Scientists are yet to find relationship between colour of skin and intelligence.

Increasing globalisation and industrialisation has led to mixing of people fo all different colour and language, blurring the cultural differences. With increasing mixing of genetic pool, new improved humans may evolve which are above racial concepts.