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Help with genetic makeup



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Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:00 am
queenofscience says...



Hey, it's queenofscience. What is the genetic makeup of people that are from Russia/other European countries. A few years ago I asked my history teacher and he said that they have tan skin and black hair and brown eyes for the usual genetic makeup. Just wanting to get fact's straight. Please help.

Generally, I awesome when it comes to the subject of genetics, but I need help. I seriously have no idea.
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Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:52 am
Kale says...



Russia alone is a huge country with a large variety of ethnic groups and populations, and the rest of Europe is just as diverse. There is no one characteristic appearance or genetic haplogroup, especially not over such a large geographic area.

Quite a few studies have been done on the genetic history of Europe, and I highly recommend checking them out. Wikipedia has a pretty decent overview with figures and such, as well as links to references.

Another good idea would be to research the modern-day countries that make up your area of interest. You'll be able to find information on the various ethnic groups, cultures, and even get a feel for what the average citizen looks like in each region, which will help your descriptions of characters/people feel more genuine and nuanced.
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Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:54 am
seeminglymeaningless says...



If you want a stereotypical idea of what Russian citizens are like, and enjoy a relatively good movie at the same time, simply set aside some time to watch xXx. My impression of the people due to this movie is as follows:

- The people are somewhat bitter about the state of their country
- They are hard and tough, enduring a cold climate and unjust/corrupted government
- They are mainly of Caucasian appearance.
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Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:43 pm
queenofscience says...



Thanks for the idea.
I am the science and science fiction guru.

The mind is beautiful, yet brilliant. You can think, create, and imagine so many things.

Eugenics= scientific racism.
  





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Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:50 pm
Cspr says...



A good rule of thumb is to remember what genetics would be most useful in a given society or place. Some examples:

Many people of African descent have sickle cell anemia. Why? Malaria. Darker eyes and skin as protection from the sun.

Many Asian peoples have distinctive eyes because of how they dealt with the sunlight in high altitudes hitting off snow.

Europeans tend to have paler coloration for several reasons. Most European countries have long winters, some without much sunlight, and common storms. Pale skin enables the people to soak in more vitamins from the sunlight and the blue eyes allow them to have better night vision (as pale eyes are far more sensitive to light).

On the other hand, genetics can only help so much. Albino people are often born in Tanzania, for example. Then of course you have Mother Nature. People with 'defects' are less likely to survive, especially in countries or times without today's modern tech.

And then you have, of course, human nature itself. People like the rare, which is why blue eyes can both be traced back to one ancestor and are fairly common now. On the flip side, sometimes populations hate a perceived 'defect'--when you're talking of Russia or Europe, you can consider the fact that there have been more than a few systematic purges.

If you're moving forward in time, populations have melded together over time because of heightened travel. Many European nations have had an influx of Turkish immigrants.

Etc.

Basically, there is no real answer. You can make estimations, but that black guy in Germany who speaks fluent German? Still German. He exists.

In other news, generalizations are generally a bad way to go. Ignore the irony.

Hope this helped in some way.
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Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:25 pm
queenofscience says...



Thanks. What about hair color. As in, does different hair color just depend on genetics, of it it for a reason? Possibly no, but i still want to know if there is a reason.
I am the science and science fiction guru.

The mind is beautiful, yet brilliant. You can think, create, and imagine so many things.

Eugenics= scientific racism.
  





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Fri Feb 22, 2013 2:27 am
Cspr says...



Hair color depends on genetics, yes. Dominance pattern of black, brown, blonde, and red, I believe. Most people in the world either have black or brown hair.
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Fri Feb 22, 2013 2:59 am
queenofscience says...



Thanks :D
I am the science and science fiction guru.

The mind is beautiful, yet brilliant. You can think, create, and imagine so many things.

Eugenics= scientific racism.
  








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