Have all races of humans evolved to the same degree?
925661
What a fascinating question.  I'm no geneticist, so take my words with such forewarning.\n\nI think if one were to closely look at human evolution, one would find a different degree in evolutionary history.  \n\nHow does one best differentiate the degree between races? That is not so debatable. Most scientist, today, do not recognize race.\n\nOnce upon a time they did it with "discernible" qualities based on "eyeball" measurements.  \n\nSkin color demonstrates this old fashioned method quite well.  And still, it counts for something, despite its inaccuracy.  \n\nOur world wide communication has increased, and people of different skin colors have discussed (and seem to agree) that human nature seems to be same, no matter where we are.  \n\nThere are good and bad people out there, despite the preponderance of race you live amongst.  \n\nThis could be comforting in the sense that no race is better than the other,  or discomforting in the sense that there will always be "different" people out there, no matter where you live.\n\nThe debate on "degree" of human evolution, in my humble opinion, should be viewed in light of the environment in which the human is required to adapt to.\n\nYes the degree of evolution among Humans is different, and so is the environment in which Humans live in.\n\nA current trend for scientist is to observe closely the Human genome and how it may or may not change within different situations.\n\nI suppose the phrase of "genetic adaptation" is appropriate to use here.\n\nSpecifically, I'm thinking of the adaptation of the Human gene 'hemoglobin' has gone through, in an attempt allow Humans to survive.  \n\nIn some environments Plasmodium parasitism has changed the degree of evolution by favoring the level of genetic adaptation in those with an altered (or evolved?) globin genes.  Having those altered genes in an an environment where Plasmodium is prevalent is a plus. (Please google "genes, hemoglobin, parasites, Africa).\n\nHaving those altered globin genes in a part of the world where Plasmodium is NOT prevalent might mark you as different.  Just like skin color.\n\nI sometimes wonder if race might better be described by historic ability to survive genetic insults.  \n\nDo you have an Alu element in NM_94327343?\n\nOr better yet, are you evolving differently because your Alu element at NM_94327343 is no longer methylated?\n\nTake home points: (1) Skin color is not a current basis of race.  (2) Environment suggestively role-plays in our differences during Human evolution.  (3) According to experts every time the sperm and egg "dance", there is an opportunity for a degree for evolution (Sorry I didn't expound on this in my answer, but it can be googled.  Try 'XX', 'XY', 'meiosis' as a point in a good direction).  (4) There are probably other reasons that Humans evolve to different degrees, and they might be unmeasurable at the moment. However, current standard genetic measures on "old" populations seems to say "yes, there are degrees of difference in human evolution".  \n\nI had a lot of fun thinking about your question.  I can't wait to see your other replies regarding this topic.  Don't forget to pass on your good Karma!
1121586
As long as people and groups of people strive to be different and are recognized for differences, we will never be equal.  In essence, people cannot be different but equal.  Now, the question is, if we were to break down all differences in the name of equality so that we'd all be the same, would we still be human?
248588
In my opinion, your question gives more validity of Darwin's theory of Evolution than Creation. That we are what and who we are, because of years of adaptation in this planet. As our prehistoric ancestors (supposedly apes), dispersed their population throughout the earth surface of Pangaea (known to be just one big geological land mass before it broke up into the continents we now know and live on). Since earth features climatic conditions that varies from different regions, all living beings on it has to adapt to these conditions. Nature provided the biological elements within our body through time in changing each and everyone's varying skin tone, made possible by a biochemical called Melanin. The presumption whether Adam and Eve were white, or if our skin color has any form of bearing towards intelligence is quite superficial, because color is just naturally skin deep. Getting back to whether the first humans were here instantaneous in origin as theology would suggest, it is Evolution that explains changes in: Nature, migration, time, and adaptation, brought about the multitude of human races, plants, and other living and non living oddities here on earth.
588479
Yes.  The Human Race. They can be found all over the world.\n\nThe concept of Race, as dividing humans into separate components, almost different species, came about just before and during the Victorian age, as a reason for subjecting 'natives' to European rule.\n\nWe now know, that Genetically, we are probably one of the least genetically diverse creatures on the earth. Either 10,000 years ago (provided you are not a creationist) we humans were reduced to 1,000 individuals in total.. Either that or 100,000 years ago, we were reduced to 100 individuals.  If a creationist, it is even worse, in as we would have started with 2 individuals, 6000 years ago.\n\nIn any case, there is less genetic difference between the entire human 'race' than there is between two dogs born of the same litter from the same dog and bitch.  There is more genetic diversity within one troop of chimpanzee than there is within the entire human population.\n\nThe entire concept of race, is completely and utterly wrong, unless you look at us as a whole.  The only separate races, have died out long ago.  The Neanderthals were one.  Peking man was another.  Their genetic legacy doesn't seem to exist in modern man.\n\nSo look around, and remember, the man or woman next to you, is closer to you, than any other creature on the earth.
206888
But the most obvious answer to your question is that we obviously do evolve... we'd all be dead if we didn't\n\nsurvival of the fittest
291260
Adaptation? Evolution?
1083946
Very slight differences, but not enough to classify one race as superior or inferior at any event.  For instance, Norwegians tend to be taller than Southern Mexicans, but that has no bearing on anything.  It's pretty much a myth.  It more has to do with genetics from the direct ancestors.  Good question!
41541
No people, regardless of skin coloration, skull index or brain volume, were "made" from apes.\n\nThere is irrefutable evidence that humans and apes had common ancestors, evidence not in the shape of bones of a missing link but in the shape of shared genetic and developmental (in the formation of the embryo) characteristics. There is as irrefutable evidence that none of the modern apes that inhabit our planet today are ancestors of the modern humans.\n\n"White people" are descended from black people who bred from a limited gene pool in an environment where little sun light and cold climate favoured people whose skin had a high ultraviolet uptake and longer noses. In times of malnutrition, this slight advantage in access to Vitamin D may have been the difference between a healthy individual and a sickly individual to choose between for mating.\n\nLeaving aside the question whether evolution is based on random events, planned divergences by an active creator or morphic resonance, fact is that selective breeding is an accepted method to emphasize traits in a race. Among humans, who changed independent wolves into trustful dogs (not without cooperation from the first wolves-turning-into-dogs) and fierce aurochs into rather tame milk cows the idea of breeding themselves is ancient, too. Blood relation to successful leaders were selected as leaders just by this virtue, maybe because for some time the successful leaders did produce able offspring. Less able offspring then managed to insist on that tradition, and the concept of inheritable nobility was born.
378305
i doubt it... the human race will also be evolving, which means that even though there might be a large current race, there will be several mutations from the norm
1036109
Some where in a million year from now -- yes. Right now -- no.\nWe are evolving, but the difference at this moment is subtle. But will be evident later. \nThe mean height of people all over the world is supposed to be on the rise. \nMean IQ is supposed to be on the rise. \nI would say, we would evolve into more intelligent tall people. \nie if we don't destroy the earth before this fact becomes evident.
899890
It's true today, as in 1859 when Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection a.k.a. The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life - the strongest survive. \n\nQuestion 2 - As for humans becoming wimps, okay - that's one way to approach it. We are weakening our own gene pool, predominately through modern medicine, but also through cultural direction.
1187262
No.  As long as the world around us continues to change, humans will adapt and evolve to meet that change.
966375
The differences between races are almost entirely cosmetic. All humans are the same species, and there has been only one species of humans for at least 150,000 years.\n\nThe idea of "speeding up" evolution is not only morally repugnant, it's also pragmatically impossible to pull off. Significant evolution doesn't happen in one or two generations -- it takes many generations. At about 20 years per generation, you'd have to run the program of selective breeding for a minimum of 200 years just to isolate a particular new line. Even then, you've only got a small population of the new line, and for that line to grow to a population of a billion or more people would take thousands of years.\n\nEvolution is a very slow process. People who disbelieve it often do so because they simply can't comprehend how long millions of years are, let alone billions of years.
60131
I agree; humans and modern monkeys share a common ancestor.  Homosapien sapien (what *we* are) actually directly descended from homo erectus.  \n\nAll the scientific evidence backs this common descent up, btw.  We share a common morphology with chimps as well as a common molecular make up, which indicates that we share a common ancestor.  How else would you rationally explian it?\n\nFurthermore we share malfunctioning genes.  One in particular is a gene that prevents our bodies from producing vitamin C.  It seems that far back in our line of descent one of our distant ancestors was able to produce vitamin C.  This production was halted by a mutation - a mutation that all modern chimps share with us.  This is powerful evidence for a common lineage between chimps and humans because the best explanation is that this mutation was passed on through our evolutionary heritage.  \n\nThe creationist answer is, quite frankly, retarded.  They would have us believe that an all knowing and all benevolent entity created humans and chimps with a gene that produces vitamin C AND a gene that inhibits it's production.  An *intelligent* designer would just not have put in the genes for producing vitamin C in the first place!
727845
Why do humans have different races? If they arent meant to co-exist than their should be one race of humans since we all evolved due to the enviroment they were inhabiting.
840176
Pretty simple actually.  The original man and woman had great complexity in their genes.  When God made different languages at the tower of Babel, this divided people into groups- thus splitting the gene pool.  Different features survived better in different climates.  For example, in a hot, sunny climate people with dark skin absorbed less ultraviolet light, but people with fair skin got too much.  They either got various diseases and died, or moved to an area with shorter days.  That's just one example.  The differences that we see (skin color, hair type, etc.) is a small fraction of all the things the different "races" have in common.  There is actually only one race- the human race.  \nSkin color is what people tend to focus on the most.  But we actually all have the same skin color, caused by the pigment melanin, we just have different amounts of it. And how much is determined by genetics.  \nActs 17:26 says "and He made from one blood, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation..."\nIt's just simple genetics.  And look what we've done with it.
363668
We didn't come from apes. Apes and humans have a common simian ancestor, but the species evolved separately.