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> there's typically little meaningful distinction anyone would pick up on We don't know. At least I don't. But it would hugely surprise me if we are not consta

> there's typically little meaningful distinction anyone would pick up on We don't know. At least I don't. But it would hugely surprise me if we are not constantly picking up on all sorts of subtle gene expressions. And this needs not in any way be a conscious process. Sophisticated ability to suss out degrees of relatedness would be a far too useful feature not to have been selected for again and again and again.

emodendroket 9y ago
I have two thoughts there: 1. Surely very high intermarriage rates between different European ethnicities complicate that. 2. In that case, wouldn't the opposite behavior be expected? If the goal were to have as little genetic variation as possible humans would be better off reproducing asexually.
- interfixus 9y ago
  > Surely very high intermarriage rates between different European ethnicities complicate that Very high intermarriage rates? Wherever did you pick up such an idea? > In that case, wouldn't the opposite behavior be expected? If the goal were to have as little genetic variation as possible humans would be better off reproducing asexually There is no 'goal'. And too little variation seems to be a universally bad idea. It is a simple, observablke fact that most of us stick to partners reminiscent of ourselves. We may argue about the reasons, but the thing itself is clear and obvious.
  - emodendroket 9y ago
    Marriages between different ethnicities of white Americans are so commonplace they're not even considered interracial. To my second point, the whole benefit of sexual reproduction is genetic diversity, so it's odd to have some evolutionarily dictated behavior pulling the opposite way.
    - interfixus 9y ago
      Oh, Americans. I am European and took 'European ethnicities' to refer to actual Europeans. We don't mix all that much.
      - emodendroket 9y ago
        Well, yeah, there are a whole different set of circumstances there.

emodendroket 9y ago

I have two thoughts there: 1. Surely very high intermarriage rates between different European ethnicities complicate that. 2. In that case, wouldn't the opposite behavior be expected? If the goal were to have as little genetic variation as possible humans would be better off reproducing asexually.

interfixus 9y ago
> Surely very high intermarriage rates between different European ethnicities complicate that Very high intermarriage rates? Wherever did you pick up such an idea? > In that case, wouldn't the opposite behavior be expected? If the goal were to have as little genetic variation as possible humans would be better off reproducing asexually There is no 'goal'. And too little variation seems to be a universally bad idea. It is a simple, observablke fact that most of us stick to partners reminiscent of ourselves. We may argue about the reasons, but the thing itself is clear and obvious.
- emodendroket 9y ago
  Marriages between different ethnicities of white Americans are so commonplace they're not even considered interracial. To my second point, the whole benefit of sexual reproduction is genetic diversity, so it's odd to have some evolutionarily dictated behavior pulling the opposite way.
  - interfixus 9y ago
    Oh, Americans. I am European and took 'European ethnicities' to refer to actual Europeans. We don't mix all that much.
    - emodendroket 9y ago
      Well, yeah, there are a whole different set of circumstances there.