什麼是種族

原本是體質人類學（physical anthropology）慣用的字彙，指稱一種人類的分支，他們共同具有族裔相傳的體質特質，且是足以明顯辨認的獨特人類型別，例如高加索人（Caucasoid）、蒙古人（Mongoloid）、黑人（Negroid）等。但現在此一字彙已不太具有科學意義，隨著老舊的分類方法（例如頭髮形式、體格指標）漸被淘汰，取而代之的是DNA比較分析法和基因頻率，以及一些相關係數，像是血型檢定（blood typing）、氨基酸分泌、先天酵素缺陷（inherited enzyme deficiencies）等。在今天，所有人類的基因都被發現是極為相似，因此大部分研究者都已放棄種族的概念，而改用連群（cline）的概念，意指沿著一條環境或地理轉化線而產生的漸變式系列差異。這其實是反映了新的認知，承認人類族群永遠處於流動的狀態，而基因是恆常地由一個基因庫流到另一個基因庫，只會受限於生理界限和生態界線。然而族群的相對孤立，確實儲存了基因的差異，也使得人群在一段長時期中，可以擁有最強的能力去適應氣候和疾病；因此現存的族群完全是基因「混合」（mixed），但他們之間的差異其實並不能將他們進行簡單分類。今天「種族」這個字彙基本上是社會學的名詞，使擁有相同外在體質特徵及文化歷史共同性的群體能自我確認。亦請參閱climatic adaptation, human、ethnic group、racism。

race

Term once commonly used in physical anthropology to denote a division of humankind possessing traits that are transmissible by descent and sufficient to characterize it as a distinct human type (e.g., Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid). Today the term has little scientific standing, as older methods of differentiation, including hair form and body measurement, have given way to the comparative analysis of DNA and gene frequencies relating to such factors as blood typing, the excretion of amino acids, and inherited enzyme deficiencies. Because all human populations today are extremely similar genetically, most researchers have abandoned the concept of race for the concept of the cline, a graded series of differences occurring along a line of environmental or geographical transition. This reflects the recognition that human populations have always been in a state of flux, with genes constantly flowing from one gene pool to another, impeded only by physical or ecological boundaries. While relative isolation does preserve genetic differences and allow populations to maximally adapt to climatic and disease factors over long periods of time, all groups currently existing are thoroughly “mixed” genetically, and such differences as still exist do not lend themselves to simple typologizing. “Race” is today primarily a sociological designation, identifying a class sharing some outward physical characteristics and some commonalities of culture and history. See also climatic adaptation, ethnic group, racism.