/sci/ - Science & Math

>>12747484
It is more likely to be caused by the lack of a gene. Pure sub-saharan africans have no Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA. Europeans have some Neanderthal DNA and asians have some Denisovan DNA. That means ancient humans walked out of Africa and bred with other ancient humans, the distance between these ancient humans was genetically close enough to lead to fertile offsprings. Not long after Neanderthals and Denisovans went extinct but their genetic legacy remained, their little bits of DNA that were added only to certain human populations on the planet. We therefore have a relatively good reason to suspect that adding those bits of DNA can have some effect, an effect that is relatively weak (we are still 99% identical as a species) but if we look close enough statistically then small effects can make ripples.

As for the genetic link between skin color and intelligence, there are disorders that alter pigmentation (melanism and albinism) and they don't genetically interfere with the brain's development. The color black and white have nothing to do with intelligence by themselves, whether smarter members of a species happen to be light or dark is the result of a coin toss. Among birds, the smartest are black (crows and ravens).