Human Genetic Diversity: Lewontin's Fallacy
Human genetic diversity refers to the differences in our DNA makeup that make us each unique individuals. Lewontin's fallacy is a term used to describe a mistake that was made by a man named Richard Lewontin.
Now, imagine that you and your friend each have a basket of apples. Your basket has 10 red apples and 10 green apples, while your friend's basket has 10 red apples and 5 green apples. If we labeled each apple with a letter, we would have 20 "A" apples, 15 "B" apples, and 5 "C" apples between both baskets.
Lewontin made the mistake of assuming that because there were more A and B apples in both baskets, the apples were the same. He did not take into account the fact that there were still 5 unique C apples that were not shared between the two baskets.
Similarly, Lewontin studied different populations of humans and found that even though there were differences in their genetic makeup, the majority of their genes were the same. This led him to suggest that human genetic diversity was lower than previously thought.
However, this is where the fallacy comes in. Just like the C apples in the example, the unique genetic differences between populations cannot be ignored, even if they only make up a small portion of the total genetic makeup. This means that human genetic diversity is actually much higher than what Lewontin initially concluded.
In summary, Lewontin's fallacy refers to the mistake of assuming that genetic differences that make up a small proportion of the total genetic makeup are not important. This mistake led to an underestimation of human genetic diversity.
Now, imagine that you and your friend each have a basket of apples. Your basket has 10 red apples and 10 green apples, while your friend's basket has 10 red apples and 5 green apples. If we labeled each apple with a letter, we would have 20 "A" apples, 15 "B" apples, and 5 "C" apples between both baskets.
Lewontin made the mistake of assuming that because there were more A and B apples in both baskets, the apples were the same. He did not take into account the fact that there were still 5 unique C apples that were not shared between the two baskets.
Similarly, Lewontin studied different populations of humans and found that even though there were differences in their genetic makeup, the majority of their genes were the same. This led him to suggest that human genetic diversity was lower than previously thought.
However, this is where the fallacy comes in. Just like the C apples in the example, the unique genetic differences between populations cannot be ignored, even if they only make up a small portion of the total genetic makeup. This means that human genetic diversity is actually much higher than what Lewontin initially concluded.
In summary, Lewontin's fallacy refers to the mistake of assuming that genetic differences that make up a small proportion of the total genetic makeup are not important. This mistake led to an underestimation of human genetic diversity.