Mixed race children, which race will they be?

[layman77]

Does anyone know what genes determine say, whether a person will be black or white if the child has a black father and white mother? Or Melado?

[insane_alien]

theres no real biological distinction for 'race'.

 

the most likely outcome is a shade of skin somewhere between the parents shades.

[layman77]

theres no real biological distinction for 'race'.

 

the most likely outcome is a shade of skin somewhere between the parents shades.

 

Well black people either have more melanocytes in their skin or they produce more melanin. That's genetic isn't it?

[Sayonara]

While the phrase "there isn't a biological distinction for 'race'" often gets bandied about, there are obviously going to be genetic differences between different populations.

 

There is an overview of skin colour genetics on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_color#Genetics_of_Skin_Color_Variation

 

"Mixed race" is not a useful term, since in human populations 'race' usually involves cultural elements as well as biological ones.

[layman77]

Well, in this case I mean race with regard to biology. Strictly speaking, there are only 3 races of humans, Caucasoids (whites), Negroids (Blacks) and Mongloids (asians and people from Polynesia and North and South America)

[SkepticLance]

To layman

 

There is no such thing as 'race'. There is simple variation between different humans and different human populations. These variations range across a continuum with no clear distinctions.

 

If you look at skin colour, it varies from pure black in some African populations, through dark brown, light brown, and mere tan. And that is just in Africa. Outside Africa, it varies from almost-black to almost snow white.

 

Skin colour is determined by about 20 different genes. Offspring between dark and light skinned parents results in a mixture of these genes, and an intermediate skin colour.

 

Your suggestion that there are three races is quite incorrect. These are just the extreme cases for certain physical traits. There are just too many intermediate traited populations.

[iNow]

Lucaspa laid it out pretty well here:

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?p=426539#post426539

 

 

The rest of that thread is illuminating, too.

[Ophiolite]

A small diversion.

 

I am a Anglo-Scot. My wife is Malay/Indonesian. When our first child was born I was curious to see what skin colouration she had acquired. I was not present at the birth since it was an emergency cesarian. The first I saw of my daughter she was in a cot, with only her feet showing. I was startled to see they were incredibly dark, almost black and certainly much darker than wife's skin. It took me a moment or two to realise I was seeing the remains of the ink with which she had been footprinted.

[bombus]

Well, in this case I mean race with regard to biology. Strictly speaking, there are only 3 races of humans, Caucasoids (whites), Negroids (Blacks) and Mongloids (asians and people from Polynesia and North and South America)

 

I think ancestrally this is correct, but races have merged over time where the three original subspecies overlapped.

[JHAQ]

Human races are an initial stage in speciation . Speciation has not had enough time to result in any new "species" of human who cannot replicate with different variants in terms of race because of the historical consequences of race mixing . Of profound interest is whether Neanderthals could cross breed with H. sapiens .

[Snare]

Strictly speaking, there are only 3 races of humans, Caucasoids (whites), Negroids (Blacks) and Mongloids (asians and people from Polynesia and North and South America)

 

There is no such thing as 'race'. There is simple variation between different humans and different human populations. These variations range across a continuum with no clear distinctions.

 

Technically there is a bit of right in what layman77 says. Caucasoids, Negroids, and Mongloids each have slight differences in the cranial features. When a body is found, generally the "race" of the person can be approximated by these differences.

[Moontanman]

What race would a child of a Caucasian mom and a negroid Dad be????? Try the Human race, I can't believe some one would think that it would be one other other of the so called races. Sad really this sort of thing is still speculated about.

[insane_alien]

you seem to think there is some sort of racist intent where we are discriminating against someone of particular skin colour. it is not so.

 

that would be a bit like calling discussion about whether a baby is going to be a boy or a girl sexist.

[Moontanman]

you seem to think there is some sort of racist intent where we are discriminating against someone of particular skin colour. it is not so.

 

that would be a bit like calling discussion about whether a baby is going to be a boy or a girl sexist.

 

First a baby conceived by a white and a black person would be neither, it would be of mixed race. Race is not dominant recessive characteristic like eye color.

Second labels of race exist to marginalize humans into us and them groups with the them being somewhat less than us. I am of mixed race, for me it's really never been a problem due to being mixed of several races and no one really noticing it. I have medium complexion that tans very easily and Grey eyes and very thick course white hair (used to be brown and kinky) Not many would guess i am of mixed race, Native American, European, and African, maybe even some Asian. I have been in the front row of the audience of racism and I have seen and heard everyone talk junk about anyone they thought was less than "white" so don't think for a minute that worrying about the race of a baby of white and black parents is anything other than race. The assumption the baby would have to be one or the other reveals a racist attitude.

[insane_alien]

i think you are reading way way too much into this.

 

whether you like it or not there do tend to be differences in humans depending on where they came from. this is due to evolution. the most obvious product of this is skin colour. lots of melanin is good in hot sunny climates such as those found in africa but sucks in europe as you wouldn't get as much vitamin D.

 

now, on the topic of mixed race babies, there are 3 scenarios which were mentioned in the OP, either 1/the babies skin is dark

2/ the babies skin is light

3/ the babies skin is a medium.

 

all three of these have been observed in babies with parents of different race. it is an interesting question and is a valid line of inquiry. it is not being derrogatory to either skin colour nor does it imply that either one is 'lesser' than the other.

[Cyborg]

Does anyone know what genes determine say, whether a person will be black or white if the child has a black father and white mother? Or Melado?

 

Generally speaking, dark overlays light as to color (darker skin, eyes, hair over lighter) and size tends toward an average between that of the mother and the father (adjusted for gender, of course). The IQ will seldom vary far from an average of the parents, barring genetic abnormalities such as Down's syndrome. Genius occasionally occurs with no explanation of which I am aware.

 

If someone has already said this, bear with me. It will take a few days to catch up here.

[Sayonara]

I have been in the front row of the audience of racism and I have seen and heard everyone talk junk about anyone they thought was less than "white" so don't think for a minute that worrying about the race of a baby of white and black parents is anything other than race. The assumption the baby would have to be one or the other reveals a racist attitude.

This thread is about the biological mechanisms which determine pigmentation in human offspring. ALL human offspring.

 

Please refrain from attributing spurious motives to the discussion.

[BlackPower]

This is my first post, and this is the dumbest question I have heard all day. Interesting discussion for the most part. I personally think that the three race thing is incorrect. It feels like it divides humans into species or something. Right now they are all sorts of overlaped (human evolution). Besides, who knows? Mabey thousands of years ago there were more than 3 "species". I've also noticed that as the years go by I keep getting darker. It has nothing to do with my intake of sunlight either.

[Kyrisch]

The hypersensitivity to this subject is astounding...

[TrickyPeach]

I think ancestrally this is correct, but races have merged over time where the three original subspecies overlapped.

 

Just curious if there is any proof that so called human races are subspecies of human.

 

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_(classification_of_human_beings)#Race_as_subspecies

[CharonY]

To date, those distinctions are more or less arbitrary. In theory one could try to define it properly, e.g. utilizing whole genome information instead of just picking out specific traits. This however, would still require an enormous amount of money (for sequencing as well as the computational part). With the decline of sequencing costs on next-gen systems (around 10-20k to sequence a smallish prokaryotic genome), it may still happen in our lifetime.

[Equator]

The hypersensitivity to this subject is astounding...

 

Why do you think this subject arouses "hypersensitivity"?

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Just curious if there is any proof that so called human races are subspecies of human.

 

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_(classification_of_human_beings)#Race_as_subspecies

 

There is no such thing as subspecies of humans. Races haven't evolved. Peoples' idea of race has evolved. What some call race is merely a function of gene pooling. Offspring carry traits of their parents. Eventually, some people may arbitrarilly label sucha pool as a race. No one has been able to consistently define race, especially products of "mixed race." Before one can discuss race (as with any other subject), then the term "race" must be defined.

[lakmilis]

Human races are an initial stage in speciation . Speciation has not had enough time to result in any new "species" of human who cannot replicate with different variants in terms of race because of the historical consequences of race mixing . Of profound interest is whether Neanderthals could cross breed with H. sapiens .

 

evidence so far shows very little cross over breeding between the two and as such , one for now says they were not our ancestors. (but who knows.. maybe some local pocket somewhere , interbreeding happened a lot.. it's after all... erm evidence in this area depends on finds not natural laws).

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The hypersensitivity to this subject is astounding...

 

Guess it has a lot to do with the history of the 20th century in particular.

 

And seeing just what terrible actions humanity is capable of , based on theories of race etc. (what we saw in nazi-Germany at the time just went beyond anything I guess, we thought we could be able to do in a somewhat 'developed'society).

 

Ironically, one of the major groups which suffered, are now practicing similar atrocities towards the people displaced due to the land they got after the 2nd world war (i.e. Israel/Palestina).