I am having a hard time arguing this side of the argument as I realize how touchy the subject can be and I am not saying that you are being touchy; I am just saying that no one wants to be the "bad guy". Additionally, if groups who already harbor racism are told there are any differences between races, they will likely jump at the opportunity. However, if we are going to look at this subject in an objective manner, we have to acknowledge the facts. I will attempt to show how there are predictable differences in genetics between races; of course this variation is very very small (in terms of genetic percentages) and any phenotypical changes that are observed only mean "
difference" not "
superior" or "
inferior".
I think the main problem in the OP is talking about an artificial construction of race to try and define variation. The article below shows that 85% of difference is actually between people who are identified as being of the same national or linguistic group. Only 6-10% of variation depends on what is considered a 'racial group' - that is things like hair, kin colour, nose shape.
What that article is saying put in different terms but with the same meaning is .. and I quote:
... by far the largest amount of that variation, about 85%, is among individuals within local national or linguistic populations
... Of the remaining 15% of human variation, between a quarter and a half is between local populations within classically defined human “races,” ...
... The remaining variation, about 6% to 10% of the total human variation is between the classically defined geographical races
Here is the source originally quoted:
Here we see that between any two people within a national or linguistic population, there will be a certain amount of variation (they did not say what that variation was individuals, but it is a commonly known fact that the variation between individuals is on average 0.5% (
Human genetic variation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), i.e. on average individuals are 99.5% similar genetically speaking. Therefore we can calculate that of that 0.5% difference, around 85% of 0.5% (0.425% - rounded = 0.4%) is the average amount of genetic variation that will occur between individuals within the same population and the remaining 0.075% (rounded = 0.1%) are represent the genetic racial variation.
While ~0.1% may not seem like a lot, we have to remember that while individuals vary by a total of 0.5%, our genetic difference from chimpanzees is only 1.5% (i.e we are share 98.5% of our genes with chimpanzees and 99.5% of our genes with each other, a difference of only 1%;
Humans And Chimpanzees, How Similar Are We?). This means that humans on average differ genetically by 1/3 of the amount of difference between us and chimpanzees; another way of saying this is that humans are only 2/3 more similar (genetically) to each other than than they are to chimpanzees. Additionally, it can be said that the genetic differences between races is 15 times smaller than the difference between humans and chimpanzees; or that our genetic difference to chimpanzees is only 15 times greater than the difference between races. The the ratio of 1 to 15 (0.1/01.5) is not all that small.
If you study a chimpanzee, you will find many many more differences in phenotype than 1.5% - who knows how many physical (phenotypical) there are between us and the chimpanzees .. I am guessing somewhere in the million or more range (just to give an idea of how different Chimpanzees are from humans phenotypically speaking). Because that small 1.5% difference produced such vast phenotypical differences between humans and chimpanzees, it should not come as a surprise that there are indeed significant, measurable phenotypical differences between races. This does not mean one race is "superior" to another; it only means that they are slightly different genetically and to a greater degree different phenotypicaly. And .. there is nothing inherently bad in this fact.
What you may be realizing by now is that extremely small differences in genes (genotypes) can produce large differences in physical representations (phenotypes). If 1.5% genetic difference between us and the chimpanzees can produce such radical physical (phenotypical) then it can not be ignored that there is a 0.1% difference between races which will lead to phenotypical differences (e.g. hair, noses, cranium structure, etc. for the obvious differences as well as not so obvious differences - see article). This being said, the genetic differences
are very small, so
radical phenotypical differences between races is not likely.
When scientists say there is no need to subdivide the humans into different races, they say this because 1.) this would be very bad for racism and 2.) the difference is really not large enough to make meaningful subdivisions. However, we are all aware of the phenotypical differences and thus we all know that there are genetic differences that cause those phenotype differences. Forensics are very aware of these differences and use them to identify individuals.
Additionally dogs all belong to the same species and there are huge differences in their physical and mental appearances and characteristics. Anyone who would say facts like these are not evidence in support of genetic differences between races is just interpreting findings and delivering them in a way that makes it sound like there are no "meaningful" differences .. however, if you read closely you will see that they are admitting that their are differences but do not "feel" that such differences warrant any subdivisions.
Subdivisions
could be done, but there is no application for doing so and as every year goes by, those differences become smaller and smaller due to interracial marriages etc.; i.e. we don't want our children reading that there is 0.1% genetic variation between races - many campaigns have been based on ideas like "different on the outside but the same inside" or "we all bleed red" - encouraging thinking that for everything except appearances, all humans are the same. Unfortunately once someone pays attention in a college biology class, the realize that there is indeed differences and that they are indeed more than just skin and hair.
Perhaps we should hide these facts so that extreme racists don't have another rock to throw? I have read articles that support the idea that racism is a natural phenomenon and it is in our roots to exhibit racial behaviors (a good portion of racism is also due to culture as well), whether its feeling like one is superior over the other, or getting involved in lynchings. So for any racists that may read this, I encourage you to embrace our differences; we are all human and there are differences between races, but these differences are dwindling and different does not mean "inferior" or "superior", it just means different. As of this point we don't really know much about the differences other than obvious physical characteristics, some proteins and higher susceptibility to certain diseases among some races. We do know that there are differences most likely due to genetic variables that effect performance on the IQ test, but other than that I do not know of any more research in this area - likely because no one wants to touch the issue and it likely only work to serve the strengthening of evolutionary theory and nothing else.
I would just like to say that I am all for protecting people from becoming more racist. However, I know that when people feel like they are being lied to, they often question things even more. So, in that sense, it may just be better for us to acknowledge that, for now at least, there are genetic and to a greater extent phenotypical differences between races. Each race should be valued for their differences; each race developed different skills based on their environment of origin and thus all races are winners. Some may be able to run faster, some may be able to think in certain ways easier and so on. This of course
does not mean that every person in one race is 0.1% different than a person from another race in terms of characteristics as the 0.1% figure is an average and does not take into consideration the individuals within a race that are very similar to individuals in another race. All I ask is that people find positive ways to use this knowledge or not use it at all. I would like a place where differences are respected and even admired.