Re: adaptation and race

Cliff Lundberg (cliff@noevalley.com)
Fri, 30 Oct 1998 09:30:40 -0800

Amanda Gladden wrote:

> Cliff, I did NOT mean that different colored skin is unequal. I have
> wondered the same thing you have, at which point did humans diverge into
> different races? Environmental adaptation is an idea, but I have no
> clue what actually happened. Since you are an evolutionist, do you
> think this is what happened?

I'm sure you didn't have anything politically incorrect in mind.
(But I suspect the Sons of Ham business is not quite dead in the
creationist world).

Since skin colors are associated with other distinctive
physical features, I doubt that the tropical-sun theory is
a complete explanation. These other features may have
correlated somehow with the coloring in some way that
relates to cosmetics or sexual attraction. Mainly I
wonder if the different races were established before
or after we were furry animals.

-- Cliff Lundberg ~ San Francisco ~ cliff@noevalley.com