Abstract

In biology, race can be defined as a geographically bounded population showing accentuated genetic differentiation. It is believed that the division of human species into "races" presents solid biological base. However, there are problems over using this term. The present work aims to point out some of the difficulties of using the concept of races for the human species, using a biological approach. The race concept is typological, imprecise, based on subjective concepts, and can suffer different interpretations according to the criteria used, who is using it, and even the time and place of the determination. The chosen characteristics for the conception of races are usually in accordance to the convenience of the user, based on external and extremely complex morphologic criteria, with little support of genetic knowledge. This concept is also static, and does not represent the modifications and evolution of human populations, with the same evolutionary origin. Most populations are not circumscribed, so that there is genetic flux among them, leading to genetic differences not big enough to support the sub-division of the human species into races. The genetic differences among human groups are smaller then between individuals of the same population. From this biological point of view, the existing inconsistency for the classification of the human species in different races, make the morphological criteria used nowadays nonsense.