"Human races or human race?"

The Economist has an interesting article this week, citing research by Lluís Quintana-Murci and his colleagues at the Pasteur Institute which sheds light on the diversity of human genomes. The researchers

found 55 genes that showed evidence of having undergone significant localised evolution. Six controlled skin pigment and hair development. Four helped the immune system combat disease-causing organisms, such as malarial parasites, that are a problem in some places, but absent from others. A further six regulated metabolism in various ways, probably in response to the different diets enjoyed by different people. (Some of these genes are of wider interest as they are involved in obesity, diabetes and hypertension.) Nine others had various other jobs that were also of no political significance. All in all, the school of thought which holds that humans, for all their outward variety, are a pretty homogenous species received a boost.

There were, however, 30 locally selected genes whose functions are as yet unknown. And it is possible that others have been overlooked. This result promotes the brotherhood of man. But it is probably not the last word on the matter.

Comment: Assuming only two alleles for each of the 55 genes, that suggests 32,000,000,000,000,000 different combinations possible.

I might question whether we know enough about human genetics to understand how genes affect the human organism and its behavior.

I think we are far, far away from understanding human diversity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights seems like a good approach to dealing with other people and other peoples until we do get that understanding. JAD