Do common beliefs of race correspond to underlying genetic differences among populations? No. The article, “Does Race Exist” explains that in some cases, yes, but most of the time no. People are sorted broadly into groups according to genetic DNA. Physical features that are brought about by natural selection are used to separate people into races. The article says that people with similar skin color or facial features from evolution can be different in relation to their DNA. For an example, humans from two different homelands that have a hot climate may have similar skin tones because their adaptation to the sun. However; genetically they are different. People that are similar to each other in their DNA might be exposed to different forces. The article explains how scientists figure out the correspondence between each group by relying on tiny genetic variations of the DNA called polymorphisms. Short pieces of DNA that are similar in pattern of one another are called alus, which are part of polymorphisms. They are used to determine the relationship of populations to one another. Scientists look at hundreds of these polymorphism and eventually can group individuals based off of their DNA. They have a distinct effect in one group but may vary in another group, so the traits effected by natural selection are bad predictors of detecting which individual should go in each group. The usual assumption of race do not always reflect a person’s genetic background. There has been so much genetic mixing, that there are no true races among humans. The concept of race only applies to the social aspect of humans, which is still important. Modern mapping of the human DNA can now point out the different forms of a gene that are brought up by mutation. So race does exist but it has no validity for humans at an biological perspective.
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