---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For ages anthropologists lumped all…"
description: "\"“For ages anthropologists lumped all African peoples into one ‘race,’ but the genetic truth is that the larger world’s diversity is more or less a subs..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/sam-kean-10876_racism_for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-afri_3151267.png"
---

#  For ages anthropologists lumped all African peoples into…

![“For ages anthropologists lumped all African peoples into one ‘race,’ but the genetic truth is that the larger world’s diversity is more or less a subset of African diversity.” quote by Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/sam-kean-10876_racism_for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-afri_3151267.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/sam-kean-10876_racism_for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-afri_3151267.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/sam-kean-10876_racism_for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-afri_3151267.png)

> ““For ages anthropologists lumped all African peoples into one ‘race,’ but the genetic truth is that the larger world’s diversity is more or less a subset of African diversity.””

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human genetic diversity is a subset of African genetic diversity, showing Africa as the origin of all modern humans.

**In simple terms:** All humans trace back to Africa.

Key Takeaway

Recognize shared origins.

Themes

science human origins diversity

Mood

informative thoughtful

Type

scientific educational

When to use this quote

- education
- public health
- cultural exchange
- policy making

Key Concepts

genetics anthropology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does this shape identity?
- What implications for global inequality?

A Different Perspective

Complexities of race concepts persist.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [In the beginning of the human race there was no genetic load which would cause undesirable traits such as appear in offspring of marriages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lang/in-the-beginning-of-the-human-race-there-was-no-genetic-load-which/)

[Walter Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lang/)

> [One of the most serious errors, if not the most serious error, committed by colonial powers in Africa, may have been to ignore or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amilcar-cabral/one-of-the-most-serious-errors-if-not-the-most-serious-error/)

[Amilcar Cabral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amilcar-cabral/)

> [“In the General History of Africa, we come across very impressive facts about the culture of primitive African peoples. It is known, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/in-the-general-history-of-africa-we-come-across-very-impressive-facts/)

[Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/)

> [One can imagine a kind of hormonal arms race or genetic arms race, whether it's to do with height or IQ, conceivably, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/one-can-imagine-a-kind-of-hormonal-arms-race-or-genetic-arms-race/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [I want our future leaders to know what's possible and to be part of a world where diversity and gender equality aren't special programs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-nanterme/i-want-our-future-leaders-to-know-what-s-possible-and-to-be-part-of-a/)

[Pierre Nanterme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-nanterme/)

> [“The diversity of people creates a self-sufficient world, yet that diversity could make someone feel alienated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-hussam-atef-elkhatib/the-diversity-of-people-creates-a-self-sufficient-world-yet-that/)

[Dr. Hussam Atef Elkhatib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-hussam-atef-elkhatib/)

> [You're in a world of diversity. You see things through a glass darkly. There is a separation everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-re-in-a-world-of-diversity-you-see-things-through-a-glass-darkly/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [“In a world of diversity, and cultural differences... there's no such thing as 'common' sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-vankoughnett/in-a-world-of-diversity-and-cultural-differences-there-s-no-such/)

[Carla VanKoughnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-vankoughnett/)

> [The trouble is that Millennials and many recent products of the public schools believe that America was made great, if they're even taught that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-trouble-is-that-millennials-and-many-recent-products-of-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [It is shocking that the screen does not reflect the way the world is and the diversity in the world... What the world really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-nair/it-is-shocking-that-the-screen-does-not-reflect-the-way-the-world-is/)

[Mira Nair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-nair/)

> [In this world we see nothing but diversity. Everyone thinks separate ideas and wants to develop a separate identity. They fight wars with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-this-world-we-see-nothing-but-diversity-everyone-thinks-separate/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [People need to see that, far from being an obstacle, the world's diversity of languages, religions and traditions is a great treasure, affording us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/youssou-n-dour/people-need-to-see-that-far-from-being-an-obstacle-the-world-s/)

[Youssou N'Dour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/youssou-n-dour/)

> [Even in this globalised world, London is still the standard for our times. The city has embraced the world's diversity and represents the finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/even-in-this-globalised-world-london-is-still-the-standard-for-our/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [Queens is famous throughout the world for diversity and tolerance. But really it's what we have in common that makes our neighborhoods work, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/queens-is-famous-throughout-the-world-for-diversity-and-tolerance-but/)

[Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/)

> [In a post-9/11 world, diversity has become even more important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-harman/in-a-post-9-11-world-diversity-has-become-even-more-important/)

[Jane Harman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-harman/)

## More by Sam Kean

> [“So while Pauling struggled with his model, Watson and Crick turned theirs inside out, so the negative phosphorus ions wouldn’t touch. This gave them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-while-pauling-struggled-with-his-model-watson-and-crick-turned/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [So if big enough droplets fell far enough fast enough, someone floating right near the metallic hydrogen layer inside Jupiter maybe, just maybe, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-if-big-enough-droplets-fell-far-enough-fast-enough-someone/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [Mendeleev, unlike the squeamish Meyer, had balls enough to predict that new elements would be dug up. Look harder, you chemists and geologists, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/mendeleev-unlike-the-squeamish-meyer-had-balls-enough-to-predict-that/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Lithium regulates the proteins that control the body’s inner clock. This clock runs, oddly, on DNA, inside special neurons deep in the brain. Special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/lithium-regulates-the-proteins-that-control-the-body-s-inner-clock/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Despite the earnest belief of most of his fans, Einstein did not win his Nobel Prize for the theory of relativity, special or general.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/despite-the-earnest-belief-of-most-of-his-fans-einstein-did-not-win/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“The irony is too rich not to point out. When arranging the different human races in tiers, from just below the angels to just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/the-irony-is-too-rich-not-to-point-out-when-arranging-the-different/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Think of the most fussy science teacher you ever had. The one who docked your grade if the sixth decimal place in your answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/think-of-the-most-fussy-science-teacher-you-ever-had-the-one-who/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“For his part, Mendeleev scanned Lecoq de Boisbaudran’s data on gallium and told the experimentalist, with no justification, that he must have measured something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/for-his-part-mendeleev-scanned-lecoq-de-boisbaudran-s-data-on-gallium/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Sir Isaac Newton famously said that he had achieved everything by standing on the shoulders of giants—the scientific men whose findings he built upon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/sir-isaac-newton-famously-said-that-he-had-achieved-everything-by/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“If certain bacteria, fungi, or algae inch across something made of copper, they absorb copper atoms, which disrupt their metabolism (human cells are unaffected).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/if-certain-bacteria-fungi-or-algae-inch-across-something-made-of/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Scarily, cadmium is not even the worst poison among the elements. It sits above mercury, a neurotoxin. And to the right of mercury sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/scarily-cadmium-is-not-even-the-worst-poison-among-the-elements-it/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Somehow, though, life turned that danger around, and this former poison became essential. It may sound trite, but this reversal always reminds me of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/somehow-though-life-turned-that-danger-around-and-this-former-poison/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Since before even the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, human beings used the stars and seasons to track time and record their most important moments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/since-before-even-the-ancient-egyptians-and-babylonians-human-beings/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Today alpha equals 1/137.0359 or so. Regardless, its value makes the periodic table possible. It allows atoms to exist and also allows them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/today-alpha-equals-1-137-0359-or-so-regardless-its-value-makes-the/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Furthermore, because silicon packs on more protons than carbon, it's bulkier, like carbon with fifty extra pounds. Sometimes that's not a big deal. Silicon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/furthermore-because-silicon-packs-on-more-protons-than-carbon-it-s/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

[Explore all 58 Sam Kean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

## More Racism quotes

> [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/)

[Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/)

[David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/when-dealing-with-people-remember-you-are-not-dealing-with-creatures/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/)

[Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [The color of somebody's skin or the way he wears his hair or clothes has nothing to do with anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-color-of-somebody-s-skin-or-the-way-he-wears-his-hair-or-clothes/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/)

[Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/)

> [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/)

[Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/)

> [Caught in a racial uproar, people make all sorts of promises to make amends. Whatever they do tends to be heavy on symbolism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/caught-in-a-racial-uproar-people-make-all-sorts-of-promises-to-make/)

[Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/)

> [I hate prejudice on any level. I don't care if it's somebody being discriminated against because of the color of their skin or their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlamagne-tha-god/i-hate-prejudice-on-any-level-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-somebody-being/)

[Charlamagne tha God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlamagne-tha-god/)

> [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/)

[Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/)

> [Black Privilege is a concrete motive that black people benefit from, such as racism but racism on whites. Black people don't know it but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/black-privilege-is-a-concrete-motive-that-black-people-benefit-from/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you do a black character or a female character or an Asian character, then they aren't just that character. They represent that race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-mcduffie/if-you-do-a-black-character-or-a-female-character-or-an-asian/)

[Dwayne McDuffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-mcduffie/)

[Browse all 10,057 Racism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“For ages anthropologists lumped all African peoples into one ‘race,’ but the genetic truth is that the larger world’s diversity is more or less a subset of African diversity.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Kean"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-african-peoples-into-one-race-but/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Racism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-african-peoples-into-one-race-but/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/sam-kean-10876_racism_for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-afri_3151267.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/sam-kean-10876_racism_for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-afri_3151267.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/sam-kean-10876_racism_for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-afri_3151267.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“For ages anthropologists lumped all African peoples into one ‘race,’ but the genetic truth is that the…” — Sam Kean",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Sam Kean",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“For ages anthropologists lumped all African...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-african-peoples-into-one-race-but/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/for-ages-anthropologists-lumped-all-african-peoples-into-one-race-but/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
