>>510990918Some people claim that human populations are fundamentally different species based on genetics and evolution, but this is scientifically false. Here's a breakdown of the common claims:
* **Neanderthal DNA**: It's true that non-Africans have about 1–2% Neanderthal DNA due to interbreeding after humans left Africa. Most Sub-Saharan Africans have little to none, though some carry small amounts due to later gene flow.
* **"Ghost hominin" DNA**: Studies suggest Sub-Saharan Africans may have DNA from an unknown archaic human lineage not found elsewhere. This is real but doesn't imply a different species — it reflects ancient interbreeding.
* **Dog domestication**: It's inaccurate to say it took 40,000 years to domesticate wolves. Domestication likely began 15,000–40,000 years ago, but significant changes can occur much faster under artificial selection.
* **Isolation in Africa**: The claim that Sub-Saharan Africans were isolated for 2 million years is false. Modern humans (Homo sapiens) originated about 300,000 years ago. The Sahara periodically became passable, allowing migration in both directions.
* **Crete footprints**: A controversial study suggested 5.7-million-year-old footprints in Crete, but this is not widely accepted. There’s no confirmed evidence of hominins in Europe that early.
* **Opposable toes**: Early pre-human ancestors in Africa did have grasping feet and some skeletal differences, but these hominins are not modern humans and lived millions of years before Homo sapiens.
* **Different species claim**: Scientifically false. All living humans are *Homo sapiens sapiens*. Genetic differences between populations are tiny — far too small to define separate species.
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Bottom line: While human populations have different histories, all humans belong to the same species. Claims suggesting otherwise distort evolutionary science and promote harmful pseudoscience.
