...James Watson inherited 16 percent of his DNA from an African ancestor ....
...experts Monday said the percentage of Watson's DNA possibly contributed by someone of African descent illustrates that race is a counterfeit concept, having more to do with social notions than biological ones. Many people are unaware of their DNA links to cultures worldwide.Watson disparaged the intelligence of Africans in a series of remarks two months ago, and as a result lost book-promotion engagements and resigned under a cloud as Chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Scientists at deCode Genetics, the highly respected enterprise of gene-trackers in Reykjavik, Iceland, used Watson's genome, which he had posted online, to plumb his ancestral roots. Tucked in his DNA was a story never told -- at least not in his biographies....
..."I am Caucasian but I have about 8 percent sub-Saharan African heritage and my family originates from Alsace-Lorraine," said Richard Gabriel, chief operating officer of DNAPrint Genomics in Sarasota, Fla. Alsace-Lorraine is the region in France that borders the Rhine River and the Vosges Mountains. Gabriel's company scans DNA to illuminate virtually anyone's genetic dowry....
...However, Dr. Rick Kittles, a medical geneticist at the University of Chicago and one of the pioneers in ancestral gene searches, said a 16 percent inheritance of African genes does not strike him as high. Kittles, a Central Islip native who, ethnically is African American, has scanned his own genes and found he is 16 percent European."Genes flow through populations, and they reflect who we truly are," said Kittles, who is co-founder of African Ancestry, a Washington, D.C.-based company that helps African Americans find where their ancestors originated.Race, Kittles said, is a social concept not a biological one, and that the genes of many ethnicities flow through individuals who identify with one or another race....
...Kittles finds humor in Watson's genes. "I laughed. It was funny because it brings back this whole issue of the African experience in America. This guy, who's considered a genius and discovered the structure of DNA, can make very sad statements about genetics and IQ. And the funny thing is that a significant portion of his genome is from the people he insulted."
And, for the record, James Watson did NOT discover the structure of DNA. Rosalind Franklin did.
No comments:
Post a Comment