Anglo Latino Franco Afro etc.

Marie   Saturday, September 11, 2004, 22:32 GMT
Steve K,

I know cultural traits are not connected to appearance and genetics. I did not say identical features EQUALS cultural traits. I said "there are tribes in Africa who have identical features to Australian Aboriginals AND share cultural traits." I was merely adding that they also share some cultural traits. I don't know why you thought I was implying it means the same thing. The book you recommended may be an interesting book to read and I may get it one day but I've also heard and read about the Aussie Aboriginals genetic tie to African tribes, so basically, not even researchers will share the same theories.

You said this about Australian Aboriginals:
<<I do not know about other dark-skinned curly haired people in the South Pacific but I suspect that they are genetically closer to Europeans than to most Africans>>

Then you said:
<<Africans today are genetically closer to Europeans than to Australian aboriginals>>

Which one of these statements do you want to most stand by?
Both these statements would mean that the Africans and the Aussie Aboriginals ARE genetically close since you stated that the Africans and Aussie Aboriginals are <<closer genetically to Europeans>>

Anyhow, many of us can find a different races in our family trees because of our mixing with different nations.
We are humans, so whatever the difference in our physical appearances, we're all genetically connected.
Steve K   Sunday, September 12, 2004, 00:26 GMT
Marie,

Lets see now. I have contradicted myself before so it would not surprise me if I did so again.

All people outside Africa are closer to each other than to Africans. This is generally accept science. It is based on the fact that African society is older with greater genetic variety. Only a small group of these ancient Africans actually left their homeland to populate the globe, so the gene pool outside Africa is smaller and more uniform.Thus people in New Guinea are closer to Europeans, Asians, Lapplanders and Eskimos than they are to Africans despite appearances.

However, amongst people outside Africa, it appears according to Cavalli-Sforza that Africans are closer to Europeans than they are to Australian aboriginals, again despite superficial similarities of skin colour etc.
CG   Monday, September 13, 2004, 21:25 GMT
I never really liked the term 'African American'. As I see it, it manages to both set the black people in America apart from other Americans, and from other black people.

I am black, and I am British. One does not affect the other.