I'm just wondering how evolution explains?

Question

Why are there so many different races? Why are some races shorter? All the races different facial differences. I can't point out the differences,I'd for some reason be called racist, for pointing out the differences. But think of all the differences of each. How is this explained? And for all the differences in trees, plants, grasses. I kind of understand the evolution thing, but all variety of everything is what I'm wondering about.

Answer 1

this question makes it sound like you are a Christian questioning evolutionists.

well they cant explain that. science has shown that cells develop as complete copies of what they came from, just like you have the same characteristics has your biological parents. its the law of physics, it cant be broken. mutations are harmful or deadly, thus they didnt mutate. evolution isnt possible from how we came from little organisms, because the way we are built, everything that we need to survive came at once, in the same exact time, we were created.

evolution is just a theory that is supported by all the other answers you've gotten, like environment, adaption, foods, life styles, but you have to remember, all of those things only go so far. God made us, that is that.

oh, and for those who are saying the things on the whole different races stuff, when Noah and his family were on the ark, his sons and daughter-in-laws were cursed, and each of their names represents the color of race that their future desendants became.

Answer 2

This is very basic and goes to the core of how evolution work (astonishing that some answers actually proclaim that evolution doesn't explain precisely what is the first thing which evolution explains!).

The physical differences between people reflect slight diffferences in genetic code. And ultimately the answer to your question is random mutations in genetic code. Without mutations, there could be no evolution. Because mutations provide the diversity for natural selection to choose from.

The overwhelming majority of genetic mutations are neutral - they have no positive or negative survival/reproductive advantage to the individual. Some are detrimental to survival/reproduction (and thus don't stick around for long, or only in low frequencies). And a very low proportion are positive. Simple statistics - if a trait gives a survival/reproductive advantage, it will very slowly increase in frequency in the population over successive generation.

So some differences between 'races' reflect positive mutations - mutations which aid survival/reproduction in the environment they come from. eg. dark skin in hot climates, light skin in less sunny climates, short stature in the jungle, etc.

But, as people have said, most of the differences between people are in the neutral mutations, thru 'genetic drift', or a 'founder effect' etc. You can look these phrases up. But basically random.

You need to ask questions like this in Biology if you are after serious answers.

Answer 3

Mutations happen. Those that provide an advantage to survival or reproduction will occur in increasing percentages through the generations. Different conditions favour different traits. A mutation that is advantageous in one region could well prove a disadvantage elsewhere. The pigments that make skin dark also provide protection against skin cancer. VERY useful of course. But in the far north, the skin cancer risk decreases and getting enough vitamin D (the body needs to absorb sunlight to synthesize it) becomes more important.

Some facial differences can be correlated with regional advantages, like broad noses that make it easier to breathe in intense heat. Others are just the result of mutations happening independently of each once populations are separated.

Heights often have a lot to do with diet. But a long thin body loses heat faster than a shorter thicker one. That's a big advantage in hot climates but potentially fatal in cold ones. And so on.

Answer 4

Very good question. There is no short answer but I'll try. Evolution is simply a mechanism for survival of species. Whatever traits a human possesses have evolved for this reason only. It is theorized, for instance, that black people have dark skin to protect them from the harsh sun in the Middle East and what you'd call northern Africa. It is thought that black people get skin cancer at a much lower rate than other races so this might be true. It is difficult to study evolution because these changes happen over long periods of time, even millions of years. However, if you were to look at the DNA ( the genetic blueprint that every human has), all humans are 99.9% alike. Who knows why I have a pointy nose? Maybe my ancestors needed superior smell senses?

Answer 5

Variation is a normal proces in evolution and will most likely exist anytime among any species. From the moment one individual adapts its abilities (and genes) during its lifetime there is being variation. The variation may be quite common among the species as they live in an equal environment. They breed and pass their traits on to their offspring. From the moment a certain variation (a certain quality such as p.e. fast running) is wiped out or is seen among every creature of the (maybe new) species, there is no variation anymore. However, another variation may occur. Variation always exists in some degree, but it lessens when an entire species has adapted.

Variation is very common, because each individual of the population lives a different life style; one individual may combat often, while an other runs. Although there is a slight form of variation among any species, we could definitely say the highest amount of it is defined in the human race. One has extreme muscularity, while another is a fast runner or a good thinker.

Answer 6

Read _Guns, Germs, and Steel_, it explains the social adaptation of groups based on their geography.

We have to be very careful not to assume that ethnic differences are based too much on a progressive evolution--that was at the root of a dangerous 19th century idea called "social darwinism," which assumed that white people were the most highly evolved.

I also want to point out that "Race" is an outdated descriptor with roots in 19th century thinking that was, well, racist...

Answer 7

there is only one race here: the human race. the rest are minor cosmetic differences and local adaptations.

The Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) has attempted to map the DNA that varies between humans, which is a less than 1 % difference.

All these little adaptations are bound by geography, climate, diet etc. etc. In other words, we have somewhat adapted to whatever environment we hung around in. Some are obvious (guess what amount and color of skin pigment areas with heavy sun favours?) and some are not so obvious.

As for the wild variety of species, welcome to the wonderful bounty of unrestricted evolution! Life will try the craziest things to keep on going, and some things are just crazy enough to work given the constraints of the environment.

Answer 8

The difference arose because people, plants, and animals were all indigenous to different parts of the world, with different geographic and environmental constraints. They evolved traits to fit into that niche as best they can.
These differences are some of the greatest evidence of evolution because they can be easily attributed to the hardships of a specific area. The more important that a specific trait was, the more that those that did not have it would die off, thus making that specific trait more prevalent among the populations of that species.

Answer 9

Actually, the very existence of races is more evidence for evolution rather than against it.

Different racial characteristics came about as a result of various strains of humans breeding for a long period of time in geographically isolated regions. The African population bred among themselves, the Nordic people bred among themselves, the native Americans bred among themselves, etc... The more prominent characteristics of a particular group led to the particular racial characteristics that are evident today.

In short, if you follow the more fundamentalist creationist view there would be no race. However, because we evolved (and are still doing so) different characteristics have also evolved among ethnic groups.

Answer 10

Evolution doesn't seek to explain those kinds of details. It simply says that those most fit to survive will be more likely to reproduce. But, some of the differences can be explained...for example, according to Wikipedia:

Dark skin protects against those skin cancers that are caused by mutations in skin cells induced by ultraviolet light. Light-skinned persons have about a tenfold greater risk of dying from skin cancer under equal sun conditions. Furthermore, dark skin prevents UV-A radiation from destroying the essential B vitamin folate. Folate is needed for the synthesis of DNA in dividing cells and too low levels of folate in pregnant women are associated with birth defects.
...
The evolution of the different skin tones is thought to have occurred as follows: the haired ancestors of humans, like modern great apes, had light skin under their hair. Once the hair was lost, they evolved dark skin, needed to prevent low folate levels since they lived in sun-rich Africa. (The skin cancer connection is probably of secondary importance, since skin cancer usually kills only after the reproductive age and therefore does not exert much evolutionary pressure.) When humans migrated to less sun-intensive regions in the north, low vitamin D3 levels became a problem and light skin color re-emerged.

Presumably, given enough data, some other changes in human kind over time and space could be explained similarly. Don't forget, though, that humans are in some sense a post-evolutionary species, because we have ways of prolonging life (and increasing fertility) for people with anti-survival genes. So classical survival of the fittest doesn't apply in quite the same way.