GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2007-12 > 1198350385


From: Jon Entine <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Brazil and genetics
Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 14:06:25 -0500
In-Reply-To: <20071222151228.76D831262@socom2.uol.com.br>


Hi Ricardo,

Fascinating information. Coming from a very multi-racial country makes one
extremely sensitive to the complex web of human lineages!

Brazil is one of the most fascinating and genetic diverse countries in the
world. From a sports perspective (I wrote about Brazil a bit in a prior
book, Taboo, and wrote a number of feature pieces for major Brazilian
magazines and papers, some on my "home" website: www.jonentine.com), I've
always wondered how people in your country view the ethnic mix when it comes
to evaluating football (soccer) stars. Do you find that the best stars tend
to have a certain mix (now I'm referring to the phenotype, not the
genotype)?

Here's what I mean. One cannot find an elite long distance runner of
primarily West African ancestry. The only elite African American distance
runners are the new tiny wave of East or North Africans who are recent
immigrants. On the other hand, there are no elite East African sprinters and
virtually no elite East African footballers, despite the fact that football
is the national sport of Kenya, Ethiopia, etc. and has been for a century,
while running was an afterthought until quite recently. That's clearly
because of genetically proscribed body types and physiology. Bengt Saltin,
the distinguished Swedish scientist (who works in Denmark) has of course
written extensively about this. But what about Brazil? You have had many
great distance runners. Asians of course have a body type/physiology quite
suited to the longer distances and Native Americans are of Asian lineage. I
assuming that's a big contributor to their genetics. Is there any discussion
of this in the media or elsewhere in Brazil or are such "racial" discussions
verbotten? The subject has opened wide here in the past few years. Even
critics of "race and IQ," such as the UK geneticist Stephen Rose and UCLA
physiologist Jared Diamond say quite openly that body types are genetically
proscribed and that explains why, for example, Ethiopians make great
distance runners but are among the worlds pokiest sprinters.

Just wondering.

Regards,

Jon Entine


On 12/22/07 10:12 AM, "Ricardo Costa de Oliveira" <>
wrote:

>
> Jon
>
> That's a wonderful idea to write a book and promote genetic genealogy. The
> book must be a success. The Cohanim are a fascinating group, probably no
> other Y DNA lineage could claim such an old identity and cultural impact as
> an ancient tribal priestly religion-maker group. A good book is always
> subject to criticism in terms of some elements. Actually I have Ancestors
> (not in my Y DNA or mtDNA) processed by the Inquisition for cripto-judaísmo
> and they were extremely brilliant people that created the first scientific
> association in Brazil in the 18th Century. They could not develop a career
> in the State, in the Church, Army, Navy or in the mainstream economic
> production where talent and wealth would attract the Inquisition (I have far
> more Ancestors in this exotic institution). Members of those family went to
> Northern Europe and the English American Colonies in the 1700s and returned
> to Judaism. I think extreme intelligence and even geniality is a randomic
> event socially enhanced in literature, politics, science, art. Social
> Anthropology has developed the concept of ethnocentrism observing that every
> complex social group develops a kind of elaborated discourse of
> exceptionality, singularity, originality and messianic enterpreneurship
> throughout history. Some fierce Brazilian Amerindian tribal warlike groups
> like the Guaicuru rejected the idea of the Biblical Genesis in a logical way
> saying that if such an important event had ever happened members of their
> tribe would necessarily be there as witnesses because they were the center
> of the known universe. The Indians considered Europeans and Africans both
> ugly and stinky people with bad habits. The 18th Century Portuguese
> genealogical discourse considered Black, Moor, Jew "blood" as "a macula",
> "sangue infecto" and Protestants could never be buried in a cemitery. Pure
> ignorance and hypocrisy because the compound was made of that rich heritage.
> The "Tribal" Northern Portuguese created the first modern European National
> State, the first World Empire, linked all people on Earth, discovered seas,
> new lands and also had the idea of a "chosen people" that had to spread
> Christianism, destroy the Faith enemies, fight Islam, Judaism, Protestantism
> in terrible wars and confrontations, own allegiance to and keep the
> Luso-Brazilian community, language, culture, religion, state, territory and
> create a New Rome, a new Giant Country, a new Fifth Empire among Amerindians
> and Africans slaves in what they considered the best, more beautiful and
> sweetest part of the Planet that is or would be Brazil. Mad, yes mad people,
> because they wanted greatness. I think genetic genealogy can be extremely
> promoted if every ethnic/religious/national groups could write books
> relating discourses, identities, social imaginaries linked to and linking
> genetic genealogy and historical itineraries because what genetic genealogy
> can teach as a political agenda is not the uniqueness but the complete
> diversity and "togetherness", revealing the melting pot character of any
> existing group nowadays.
>
> Congratulations
>
> Ricardo Costa de Oliveira
>> From Brazil
>
>
>
>
>
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--

Jon Entine

http://www.jonentine.com
http://www.abrahamschildren.net

P. (513) 527-4385
C: (513) 319-8388
FAX: (801) 527-4384



Jon's new book: Abraham's Children: Race, Identity and the DNA of The Chosen
People --- http://www.abrahamschildren.net








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