Are there breeds of humans...
Discussion
jimothy said:
One for the geneticists...
With animals, each type has a number of breeds. Take dogs, for example, there's labradors, spaniels etc.
With humans, we have different ethnic makeups. Is this the same as breeds in animals at a basic genetic level?
Breeds are distinguishable traits as far as i understand, so technically, different ethnic groups could be seen as a 'breed' (except we aren't bred like horses and dogs in the first place so the term may not be applicable).
All the evidence is there, as much like different breeds of animals different ethnic groups look different, have different character traits etc etc. I've no idea about the actual genetics of it though - and I'll watch this thread with interest to see if we get an answer!
One thing though - humans don't vary as much as dogs or cats, which come in all shapes and sizes. All 'breeds' of humans have roughly the same build, amount of hair, and height. I presume that comparing a human to another ape, such as a monkey, is a different issue - much like comparing a lion with a domestic cat?
One thing though - humans don't vary as much as dogs or cats, which come in all shapes and sizes. All 'breeds' of humans have roughly the same build, amount of hair, and height. I presume that comparing a human to another ape, such as a monkey, is a different issue - much like comparing a lion with a domestic cat?
jimothy said:
One for the geneticists...
With animals, each type has a number of breeds. Take dogs, for example, there's labradors, spaniels etc.
With humans, we have different ethnic makeups. Is this the same as breeds in animals at a basic genetic level?
No. Breeds aren't differences at a basic genetic level. very small differences in whether certain genes are active or not can account for apparently big 'differences' such as skin pigmentation etc. This is why different breeds can, well, interbreed. You could say that groups of humans seperated by oceans for a long time may look quite different to other humans, e.g. australian aboriginals, but the differences in genetic makeup are far fewer than the similarities. It's safe to say that since humans have been travelling around the planet on homemade boats for many many millenia, there has already been so much interbreeding that we are all pretty much the same under the skin.
RobM77 said:
One thing though - humans don't vary as much as dogs or cats, which come in all shapes and sizes. All 'breeds' of humans have roughly the same build, amount of hair, and height.
Yep; so perhaps we are collectively a different 'breed' of ape, rather than there being different breeds of humans. After all you can have different colours within a single dog breed.
>> Edited by Jaglover on Thursday 23 February 13:06
scorp said:
One for the geneticists...
With animals, each type has a number of breeds. Take dogs, for example, there's labradors, spaniels etc.
With humans, we have different ethnic makeups. Is this the same as breeds in animals at a basic genetic level?
Breeds are distinguishable traits as far as i understand, so technically, different ethnic groups could be seen as a 'breed' (except we aren't bred like horses and dogs in the first place so the term may not be applicable).
genus, phylum, strata etc come into this somewhere, tho i cant reacll the others. think 'variations on a theme'.
*gregor mendel spins in his grave*
ewenm said:
The reason there is so much variation in breeds of dogs (for example) is because of deliberate selective breeding to try to emphasise certain traits - essentially genetic engineering. This hasn't been done on humans (yet...) so we're much more homogeneous.
Yes, I'd forgotten that - very true.
Jaglover said:
One thing though - humans don't vary as much as dogs or cats, which come in all shapes and sizes. All 'breeds' of humans have roughly the same build, amount of hair, and height.
Yep; so perhaps we are collectively a different 'breed' of ape, rather than there being different breeds of humans. After all you can have different colours withing a single dog breed.
The closest thing to seperate breeds in humans in recent times would be the neanderthal - cromagnon differentiation in around 15,000 BC.
As a simile, at least in social class
the Indian sub-continent boasts a 'caste'
which is an ugly term,
briefly used a generation ago, along with;
spass'
mong' and the like.
what would Darwin have thought of current question,
so easy to miss-interpret the query, without getting into
haves/have-nots
hmmmm!
PS what are we termed who can't spell again?)
>> Edited by rich 36 on Thursday 23 February 13:04
>> Edited by rich 36 on Thursday 23 February 13:06
the Indian sub-continent boasts a 'caste'
which is an ugly term,
briefly used a generation ago, along with;
spass'
mong' and the like.
what would Darwin have thought of current question,
so easy to miss-interpret the query, without getting into
haves/have-nots
hmmmm!
PS what are we termed who can't spell again?)
>> Edited by rich 36 on Thursday 23 February 13:04
>> Edited by rich 36 on Thursday 23 February 13:06
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