# Will human beings evolve into one race?



## rapidfox1 (Sep 13, 2010)

In South Park and this hilarious book on America by Jon Stewart, they've stated that human beings will evolve into tan bald beings.


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## squidd (Feb 10, 2012)

Not sure if trolling or genuinely curious. But anyway
We're all one race already, the differences between a black and a white person for example amounts to the same differences between a blonde and a red-head.
"Race" is simply a cultural/tribal hold over.


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## ugh1979 (Aug 27, 2010)

squidd said:


> Not sure if trolling or genuinely curious. But anyway
> We're all one race already, the differences between a black and a white person for example amounts to the same differences between a blonde and a red-head.
> "Race" is simply a cultural/tribal hold over.


Skin colour is quite different to hair colour though in that it will be a fairly close mix of the skin tones of your mother and father. The same can't be said of hair, which in those of north European decent especially can be significantly different to their parents due to recessive genes.

To answer the OPs question though, it's inevitable we will eventually dilute in to various shades of brown as more and more people migrate to new latitudes and interbreed.


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## offbyone (May 5, 2010)

ugh1979 said:


> Skin colour is quite different to hair colour though in that it will be a fairly close mix of the skin tones of your mother and father. The same can't be said of hair, which in those of north European decent especially can be significantly different to their parents due to recessive genes.
> 
> To answer the OPs question though, it's inevitable we will eventually dilute in to various shades of brown as more and more people migrate to new latitudes and interbreed.


Skin pigmentation can change due to recessive genes though, as well. Albinism for example.


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

Some races are not recessive, such as black africans for example. So I dare say it will not be possible, and it could not happen given the way the world works.


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## Luna Sea (Apr 4, 2012)

squidd said:


> Not sure if trolling or genuinely curious. But anyway
> We're all one race already, the differences between a black and a white person for example amounts to the same differences between a blonde and a red-head.


I'm not actually sure this is true. There's a legitimate correlation between skin colour and athletic ability in a lot of sports. There's a reason that in american football most great wide receivers and running backs are black. I don't see what's gained by pretending that's not true. As long as you don't treat people based on their skin colour, it doesn't matter that we're a bit different.


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

TristanS said:


> I'm not actually sure this is true. There's a legitimate correlation between skin colour and athletic ability in a lot of sports. There's a reason that in american football most great wide receivers and running backs are black. I don't see what's gained by pretending that's not true. As long as you don't treat people based on their skin colour, it doesn't matter that we're a bit different.


I think it's factual that for example those from central areas of Africa have better lung capacity or ability to oxygenise their blood better and as a result make excellent long distance athletes. Not sure where i read this however, cbf looking it up.


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## Luna Sea (Apr 4, 2012)

I'm not quite sure how the previous generations felt that their strength in the Olympic track events was reason enough to enslave them and treat them like animals, but I guess I've not reached that mature age yet.


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## Selbbin (Aug 10, 2010)

No.


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## Selbbin (Aug 10, 2010)

TristanS said:


> I'm not quite sure how the previous generations felt that their strength in the Olympic track events was reason enough to enslave them and treat them like animals, but I guess I've not reached that mature age yet.


Well, considering they happened in different time periods....


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

TristanS said:


> I'm not quite sure how the previous generations felt that their strength in the Olympic track events was reason enough to enslave them and treat them like animals, but I guess I've not reached that mature age yet.


huh?


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## Luna Sea (Apr 4, 2012)

I just don't really get racism. It was only 50ish years ago that black people weren't allowed to get on the same buses. Just... wtf, human race?


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## Selbbin (Aug 10, 2010)

People are different. Internal structures vary as much as external structures. People from different ethnical groups are different. I don't see what's so wrong with that.


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

TristanS said:


> I'm not actually sure this is true. There's a legitimate correlation between skin colour and athletic ability in a lot of sports. There's a reason that in american football most great wide receivers and running backs are black. I don't see what's gained by pretending that's not true. As long as you don't treat people based on their skin colour, it doesn't matter that we're a bit different.


We are the same species, just as different breeds of dogs, despite their external differences are the same species. As for skin color, if there was enough mixing we would all have a more similar ability to tan, but people who are outside a lot more would be darker than the one's who stay inside (or live in northern latitudes), so it isn't as if everyone would have the same exact skin tone.

As for athletic ability, I'm guessing that has a lot to do with Africans societies largely not developing into agrarian societies as those of many other races. Because they remained hunter/gatherers, they heavily relied on speed, endurance, and physical strength to catch prey (and survive), so it is likely that there was selection for fast/strong men with a high endurance. That's a guess on my part though, I really don't know if this is true.


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## squidd (Feb 10, 2012)

just sayin'...

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/19980909040042data_trunc_sys.shtml

http://understandingrace.org/about/statement.html


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## ugh1979 (Aug 27, 2010)

Selbbin said:


> People are different. Internal structures vary as much as external structures. People from different ethnical groups are different. I don't see what's so wrong with that.


Indeed, but it's important to note that the people within the ethnic groups are also very different to each other. Just because some have physical advantages doesn't mean they all do, so sweeping statement likes 'black people are more athletic' is wrong, as they are actually just as varied as any other ethnic group. It's only a fraction of them that have the physical advantages, just as it's only a fraction of any other ethnic group that has physical advantages.


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## ugh1979 (Aug 27, 2010)

lonelyjew said:


> We are the same species, just as different breeds of dogs, despite their external differences are the same species. As for skin color, if there was enough mixing we would all have a more similar ability to tan, but people who are outside a lot more would be darker than the one's who stay inside (or live in northern latitudes), so it isn't as if everyone would have the same exact skin tone.


I think we have taken control of our evolution and that natural selection generally no longer happens. The natural selection that resulted in different skin tones in **** sapiens was due to exposure to environment over hundreds of thousands of years in respect to the ability to absorb vitamin D from the sun but also protect the skin from burning from the UV radiation.

Less sun in the northern latitudes meant less vitamin D so lighter skin tones evolved to adapt to the environment. This no longer happens as if someone is vitamin D deficient they now take vitamin supplements, rendering natural selection redundant. Our medical intervention is what now controls our evolution, but that means everyone will eventually become more equal, so it's a good thing in my opinion.

We are now shaping our own future and hopefully it can be one of peace, unity and harmony.



> As for athletic ability, I'm guessing that has a lot to do with Africans societies largely not developing into agrarian societies as those of many other races. Because they remained hunter/gatherers, they heavily relied on speed, endurance, and physical strength to catch prey (and survive), so it is likely that there was selection for fast/strong men with a high endurance. That's a guess on my part though, I really don't know if this is true.


That's a good guess, as there are anthropological studies which suggest this. For example there is a group of people in north west Mexico that have a very high number of great long distance endurance runners, as their culture has made that an advantage due to the long distances between their settlements. Link

This just goes to show that there is great diversity within ethnic groups, as people wouldn't generally say Hispanic people are great long distance runners.

Generalisation can be made if a large enough percentage of an ethnic group shows something, but as I say, just because some show something doesn't mean they all do.

At the end of the day every individual person needs to be taken on the own merits and individual skills and abilities.


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## ugh1979 (Aug 27, 2010)

TristanS said:


> I just don't really get racism. It was only 50ish years ago that black people weren't allowed to get on the same buses. Just... wtf, human race?


Yeah it's crazy. However I see it the same as religion. I find it shocking and very sad that people still believe in the fairy tales of the oppressive religions, and that it's immoral that they brainwash people and put a false fear of God in to them in order to control them. In my opinion it's a cancer on mankind and I look forward to it evolving out of our culture just as slavery and burning witches did.

Remember that slavery was often justified by the white man's belief that their religions God had made them superior to the black man. Religion is the reason and justification for most genocide.

Just like the days of slavery, religion is still used to oppress groups of people, like gays or women. (Most religions are very misogynistic.)

Anyway, wrong forum for talk of that.


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

ugh1979 said:


> I think we have taken control of our evolution and that natural selection generally no longer happens. The natural selection that resulted in different skin tones in **** sapiens was due to exposure to environment over hundreds of thousands of years in respect to the ability to absorb vitamin D from the sun but also protect the skin from burning from the UV radiation.
> 
> Less sun in the northern latitudes meant less vitamin D so lighter skin tones evolved to adapt to the environment. This no longer happens as if someone is vitamin D deficient they now take vitamin supplements, rendering natural selection redundant. Our medical intervention is what now controls our evolution, but that means everyone will eventually become more equal, so it's a good thing in my opinion.
> 
> We are now shaping our own future and hopefully it can be one of peace, unity and harmony.


Yep, I was only saying that even if we all did mix completely, it would only set similar basal levels of melanin production as well the sensitivity to UV required for more melanin production. People who were exposed to more UV light would be darker simply because they tanned, so there would still be differences in skin tone that would be related where you lived and how much you went outside.



squidd said:


> just sayin'...
> 
> http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/19980909040042data_trunc_sys.shtml
> 
> http://understandingrace.org/about/statement.html


I don't disagree, but you should keep in mind that any study that suggested otherwise would be denounced, regardless of its validity, and would probably be ruinous to the career of the people involved. A study that said there was something to ethnic differences in things like intelligence and aggression especially would never get published in a reputable journal, nor would it get funding/support from a reputable grant or institution. What I mean to say is that while the things you posted may be true, even if they weren't, our society would still impose on us that race/ethnicity plays a minimal role beyond appearance.


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## broseph (Jan 18, 2010)

No. Evolution leads to variations in species over time. I think that races will become even more differentiated over time, leading to, unfortunately, more racism.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

There are quite of few mixed people in the large cities of wealthy countries due to immigration but we'd have to have even more immigration than the current level to become one race.


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## ugh1979 (Aug 27, 2010)

broseph said:


> No. Evolution leads to variations in species over time. I think that races will become even more differentiated over time, leading to, unfortunately, more racism.


Evolution only leads to variation of species if there is natural selection and an environmental niche for the mutation to have an advantage, which doesn't really happen in humans any more.

Unless populations of humans are isolated, which they are less and less in the day and age, then all the interbreeding will lead to more and more mixed race people. It will take hundreds of years before mixed race people become the majority, but it will happen eventually.


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## ugh1979 (Aug 27, 2010)

komorikun said:


> There are quite of few mixed people in the large cities of wealthy countries due to immigration but we'd have to be more immigration than the current level to become one race.


Migration of people will always increase year on year.


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## saturna (Apr 23, 2012)

race is a social construct, we all know it. There is no proof that one 'race' might have inherent traits to say, run faster or have more stamina etc. One must rather consider examining the easy accessibility and cheap cost of these spoting codes together with societal conditions.


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## Jcgrey (Feb 5, 2011)

Deleted You Tube Clip


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## Knowbody (Jul 5, 2011)

how come threads about how women having it so much easier than men get locked/deleted but this stupid thread hasn't?


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## Manning (Jan 23, 2011)

Humans are 99.9% identical genetically speaking, and the vast majority of the .01% difference is between individuals not populations.


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## centrino (Sep 27, 2010)

If we assume it would take the next 2,000 years to mix up, and it takes evolution 100,000 years to change physical attributes, then I would say it is possible as long as civilizations don't isolate and stupid racism stops.

BTW I'm just saying any number of years but you get the idea.


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## Luna Sea (Apr 4, 2012)

Of course, by that point we'll be asking if us and all our funky alien brethren will ever become one species


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Knowbody said:


> how come threads about how women having it so much easier than men get locked/deleted but this stupid thread hasn't?


I just saw this. Thanks .


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

****Thread Advisory****
Please be advised that we are currently under Troll Alert Status of ERNIE until further notice. Recent activity on this site has left me with no choice. The personal attacks must STOP.
That means ANY post breaking Guidelines will receive an* INFRACTION* (not a WARNING) and will count toward a potential ban.


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