I found this discussion sane and helpful. A reader also writes:
I work on a project mapping our species’ ancestral migrations around the globe, using DNA as a guide. In my opinion, more interesting than the differences that we find in our genome (which are real) is the fact that our DNA shows that we are, in fact, more alike than previously thought. As recently as 40 years ago schoolchildren were being taught that human "races" developed independently on several continents – mongoloid, caucasoid, negroid, etc.
In fact, our DNA tells us a far more remarkable story. Roughly 2,000 generations ago, the entirety of humanity was reduced to as few as 2,000 or so individuals living in Africa. From that small group of survivors, who were living just 60,000 years ago, every human on earth is descended. 60,000 years is a blip on a glacial timescale. As we migrated around the globe, we left little genetic footprints along the way that can be found in all of us – but all roads lead back to Africa just 60,000 years ago.
See this article from Vanity Fair by the Director of the project, called the Genographic Project, for more information. In fact, you can submit an anonymous sample via cheek swab and get your own ancestor’s migratory route out of Africa – yes, it’s all non-profit and for scientific research. Sorry to plug – but it’s relevant given the topic!
We are one but we are different. We should not be afraid of our differences.
The Dish 