This is not a racist attempt to discredit Africans as it may appear. Read:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5127a1.htm
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/48/18178
~37,000 yrs ago a gene (determined to be ~1.1 million yrs old) suddenly appeared in homosapiens, a species ~ 200 K yrs old, in the Mid East. This gene spread to 70% of the World's population, but not to sub Saharan Africa... probably because the migration paths were to Asia & Europe. Due to the very high positive selection of this gene, one must suspect it confered a large advantage to those born with this gene. Some, such as I, suspect it reduced the mother/infant mortality rate. Yet another gene (CPHM) was discovered by the same research team (led by Bruce Lahn, U of Chicago) & 85% of Europeans have this gene that also appeared in the Mid East some 5,800 yrs ago.
British data on African mothers indicate African women (giving birth the 1st time) are 40% more likely to undergo C sections.
2007-07-27
08:13:51
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Anthropology