Racism is Not in our Bones
1190 words
David Sokol
Davidsokol47@gmail.com
The ugly part of what we see as the dark side of human nature may not go back to the roots of our humanity. Is racism, xenophobia and fear of the other in our bones? Looking back to centuries of recorded history it seems so. Systemic racism found in slavery, caste systems, colonialism, modern society etc. just seems the way it has always been. This is the negative bias toward the other that drives the exploitation of those who are different. Where we picked up on this fear and hate filled tendency may be a more recent program for our species. Although it is found in the distant reaches of recorded history it not found in pre -recorded history. Now we can read that pre recorded history not in hieroglyphics or distant biblical text but in DNA from the bones of our ancestors.
It has been proven through DNA examination that Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens had sex, reproduced and raised mixed children.
Almost all humans extant on the earth now have approximately 2% Neanderthal genes. That’s right, the offspring from this Neanderthal/Homo Sapiens hybrid were not turned out to die but raised as one of their own in whichever tribe they grew up in. It used to be believed that these cross species sexual interludes were rare. Now with the evidence that we are all part Neanderthal it is thought that sex, and what goes with it, was not uncommon when these two different species met.
There is another cousin species to Neanderthals called Denisovan. These two species were a little closer to each other in their evolutionary journey than either was to Homo Sapiens but not by much. The two groups grew off the same ancient line that Homo Sapiens did. Recently the world was introduced to “Danny” through analyzing DNA in the tip of her pinky finger. That tiny digit was found in a cave known as Denesova Cave in Siberia. Her Mother was a Neanderthal and her father was a Denisovan. We know that a Neanderthal mated with a Denisovan and produced a one-half Neanderthal and one half Denisovan girl. Denny was thirteen years old at the time of her death about 90,000 years ago. She was a young girl who was raised in one of these tribes, again not turned out to die as an abomination. This cave was home to both Neanderthals and Denisovan over millennia. Separately and possibly at times simultaneously.
The Neanderthals, Denisovan and Homo Sapiens all came from the same lineage hundreds of thousands of years ago. (approximately 600,000–800,000 years ago.) This is not to say there were no conflicts between tribes of different species, although there is scant evidence of violence between different types of hominins.
The world has always been a dangerous place. The potential for harm has instilled a needed negative bias in the human. A wariness of the unknown is protective but at times lifting this wariness is rewarding. Having an overwhelming positive bias, one that saw the world as simply delightful without danger, would leave us vulnerable to unexpected disaster such as attack by animal, human or environmental danger. However our ancient ancestors did lift their defensive fear of the other in order to interbreed. This interbreeding, through natural selection, led to a more survivable being in the Homo Sapiens.
So, imagine a tribe of Neanderthals meeting a tribe of Homo Sapiens. They might just avoid each other. They might tentatively explore this other out of curiosity or mutual benefit. They might have even fallen in love with the other. There is no reason to determine that these interspecies affairs were rape -based. Maybe some were but there could also have been a real human relationship, possibly with tenderness and caring. We know these species had a concern for one and other. There are individual ancient hominins with enough revealed disabilities,(such as severe arthritis and injuries) that show they could not take care of themselves. Some lived relatively long lives indicating that the tribe took care of them where they could not take care of themselves.
The other, be it Neanderthal or Homo Sapiens, could not be mistaken as one of their own. The Neanderthal was naturally shorter thicker and had very exaggerated brow bones. Brow so big that there would be a definite crease behind that swollen brow on a low forehead. The Homo sapiens were tall, slimmer with a smooth and higher forehead.
In other words, you could see them coming and know they were different.
At times these two variant groups recognized their similarity more than their differences. They got beyond their negative bias toward the other and arrived at a positive bias toward this strange new partner and the offspring that resulted. They, Neanderthal and Homo sapiens, probably had the capacity to recognize the appearance of a child that resembled the other. Did the development of a positive bias toward this strange child come from the mother’s natural parental attachment? In cases where the hybrid offspring was accepted the whole tribe must have also accepted this unique being because the rest of the tribe could have snatched the child away and disposed of her.
We know all three species of the hominins interbred. They looked more different from each other than any existing races that walk the earth now. The difference in DNA between modern Homo Sapiens is infinitesimally small compared to the distinction between Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals.
So why in our contemporary world is such an insignificant difference such as skin color, hair color, size of nose so intolerable that interbreeding, even basic tolerance, is in such short supply? I am sure that those who study sociology, cross cultural references and bigotry have answers or at least attempts toward answers. The purpose here however is to shine light on our deepest history that shows an acceptance of differences, an intimacy achieved with the other. In fact, you, me and everyone would not be who we are without that positive bias, that acceptance of the other.
Absence of Neanderthals and Denisovans DNA in contemporary humans would make us different than who we are. These ancient people did not go extinct they live on inside us. Perhaps very different than the savage stereo type they lived ways that were more human than we are.
They continue deep in each of our bones. Science is beginning to learn about specific capacities derived from our distant relatives. Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA help Tibetans survive at high altitudes, other genes inherited have helped homo sapiens increase immunity to some diseases. There also might be some auto -immune deficiencies related to Neanderthal DNA. In this dangerous world let’s hope we take after our distant ancestors in knowing when to lift our negative bias and see the humanity in each other regardless of our differences. We should thank our ancestors for going beyond the small prejudices that can grow to horrific consequences as shown by our modern history. Hate and bigotry are not in our bones but in our minds.
