MadSci Network: Evolution
Query:

Re: Will there be a dominent race on earth a day.

Date: Wed May 10 11:17:38 2000
Posted By: Dr. David Smerken, retired Ph.D., BIOANTHROPOLOGY, DNA.
Area of science: Evolution
ID: 957364776.Ev
Message:

Dear Miguel,

First of all, the vast majority of biological anthropologists today do not 
think that race is a useful concept when applied to humans.  However, there 
is of course biological (as well as cultural) variation.  The concept of 
'cline' is the far more accepted idea among human biologists.  A cline can 
be defined as a gradual gradation in the frequency of a particular physical 
trait over geographical space.  For example, people have darker skin color 
near the equator and the color lightens as you move north or south from the 
equator (due to the processes of natural selection).  In my view there is 
one race, the human race.  Language is a cultural aspect.  As the world 
becomes closer together it is not inconceivable over a century or two that 
the human race will, for better or worse, become more united in culture 
including language.  Please see Stephen Jay Gould's book The Mismeasure of 
Man for more background information on this topic.

Dr. Smerken


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