Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Anti-racist question:
Why do Europeans, as the last derivative of Africans, both as indigenous populations, not have the least genetic diversity? How? Why?
Sources and Quotes
Fox News . “Whites Genetically Weaker than Blacks, Study Finds.” Foxnews.com , Fox News , 13 Jan. 2015, www.foxnews.com/story/whites-genetically-weaker-than-blacks-study-finds.amp. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023. “As would be expected with the ‘out of Africa’ theory, the researchers found Africans had the greatest amount of genetic diversity, followed in turn by Middle Easterners, then Europeans and South Asians at about equal levels, then East Asians. Native Americans had the least genetic diversity of all, indicating that part of the world was settled last..”(Fox News 2015).
Fox News . “Whites Genetically Weaker than Blacks, Study Finds.” Foxnews.com , Fox News , 13 Jan. 2015, www.foxnews.com/story/whites-genetically-weaker-than-blacks-study-finds.amp. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023. “It's been known for years that all non-Africans are descended from a small group, perhaps only a few dozen individuals, who left the continent between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago.
But the Cornell study, published in the journal Nature Thursday, indicates that Europeans went through a second ’population bottleneck,’ probably about 30,000 years ago, when the ancestral population was again reduced to relatively few in number”(Fox News 2015)
Nei, M. “Evolution of human races at the gene level.” Progress in clinical and biological research vol. 103 Pt A (1982): 167-81.
Article Evolution of human races at the gene level
“It seems that the Negroid and the Caucasoid-Mongoloid groups diverged about 110,000 +/- 34,000 years ago, whereas Caucasoid and Mongoloid diverged about 41,000 +/- 15,000 years ago”(Nei 1982).
Tateno, Yoshio et al. “Divergence of East Asians and Europeans estimated using male- and female-specific genetic markers.” Genome biology and evolution vol. 6,3 (2014): 466-73. doi:10.1093/gbe/evu027 “Surprisingly, the European individuals did not form an independent clade, but branched within in the East Asians. We then estimated the divergence time of the root of the European clade as ∼ 41,000 years ago”(Tateno 2014).
Cavalli-Sforza, L., Feldman, M. The application of molecular genetic approaches to the study of human evolution. Nat Genet 33 (Suppl 3), 266–275 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1113
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Lohmueller, K., Indap, A., Schmidt, S. et al.Proportionally more deleterious genetic variation in European than in African populations. Nature451, 994–997 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06611
It's important to clarify that the concept of race is not a biological or genetic construct but a social one. Genetic diversity is influenced by a variety of factors, including historical population movements, migration patterns, and demographic events. The notion that Europeans are the "last racial population" is not accurate in the context of modern genetics.
Genetic diversity is not distributed along racial lines but rather follows historical patterns of human migration and settlement. Europe has been a hub for human migrations and interactions throughout history. Factors such as the movement of different populations, gene flow, and historical events like invasions and trade have contributed to genetic diversity in European populations.
The perception of Europeans having lower genetic diversity might arise from the misunderstanding that genetic diversity correlates with physical or visible differences. However, genetic diversity is a complex and multi-faceted concept that cannot be accurately assessed based on superficial observations.
In reality, genetic diversity is present in all human populations, and no group can be considered as having the "least" or "most" genetic diversity in an absolute sense. Genetic studies consistently show that the majority of genetic variation is found within populations rather than between them, emphasizing the similarity and shared ancestry of human populations.
It's crucial to approach discussions of genetics with nuance and avoid reinforcing outdated and inaccurate ideas about race. Genetic diversity is a product of historical and demographic factors, and there is no scientific basis for ranking populations based on their genetic diversity in the context of race.
Muhammad Umar Of course phrasing matters. I strive for diversity, equity and inclusion. I am autistic so I need a direct warning if I am upsetting someone.
Muhammad Umar I completely agree that race is a social construct yet racism does exist and Europeans are inherently privileged.
Muhammad Umar I plan to leverage my white privilege(if I have it) to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world thus expanding on universalism.
Muhammad Umar More specifically, I plan to leverage my white privilege to create a more equitable healthcare system.
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