mathog at seqaxp.bio.caltech.edu wrote:
> "Lactose intolerance" is the eurocentric view - it would be more accurate to
> describe "lactose tolerance in adults" as the mutant condition, with
> (nearly?) all of the carriers being of European descent. It is a bit of a
> stretch to describe this as an "abnormality" in any case. Lactose
> tolerance is an adaptive trait common in a particular human subpopulation,
> as is, oh, darkly pigmented skin. If you are missing this enzyme it isn't
> deleterious to your health - unless your only food supply for the winter is
> powdered milk!
Gosh...sounds a little PC to me. But trust me, when all your friends of
european descent are eating ice cream in the summer and you can only
watch, you feel like the mutant!
Diane
