Everybody In Brazil Is Secretly White, Scientists Say
5 October 2009, 11:39 AM. By Cindy Casares
A new study in Brazil says that European ancestry accounts for nearly 80% of the genetic heritage of the population. But there are so many black people! That’s because, says this study, it only takes a few tens of genes, (as opposed to the the 20 billion estimated for the human genome as a whole), to determine things like eye, hair and skin color. (Kind of like adding chocolate Quik to your milk.) For this reason, scientists say there’s actually a very weak relationship between a person’s Self identification as “white” or “black,” and what the DNA data show.
The study was conducted to help scientists better prescribe medications for Brazilians who have historically used American or European studies. Those groups are less mixed, so their results aren’t very applicable to the crazy sexed up Brazilians.
DNA de brasileiro é 80% europeu, indica estudo [Folha Online]
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In any event the mutation that produced white skin is relatively recent, 10k years give or take.
“Study in Brazil says that European ancestry accounts for nearly 80% of the genetic heritage of the population.”
@Cindy: Don’t you all have fact checkers? Or at least one blogger who knows something (anything!) about science and science writing? I hope I’m wrong, but I think you may be perpetuating misinformation. Srsly, you guys need to get your act together!
The research group mentioned in the article has published quite a few articles, which are available on-line. If you read the primary research article, instead of repeating what some incompetent reporter/writer reports on some website, you’ll probably notice a few discrepancies between what they report and what has been discovered in the field over the years. For example, in a recent study by a different group of researchers, they found that self-identified white Brazilians had 70-80% European ancestry, whereas self-identified Blacks had 30-37% European ancestry. Brazilian Pardos (i.e., self-identified multiracial Brazilians) were left out of the study. Other groups have found similar results.
So, it seems very unlikely that the genetic heritage of the entire Brazilian population is 80% European. Once you add Pardos and Blacks to the mix, the percentage of European genes starts to decrease.
You’re headline should be: Brazilian whites are actually 80% white; should we still consider them white?
Or maybe try this headline: Brazilian blacks are 30-37% white; why are we still calling them black?
Please say no to ignorance!
Oh snap!
no wonder.