Editing Race (human categorization) (section)

===== Distribution of genetic variation =====
The distribution of genetic variants within and among human populations are impossible to describe succinctly because of the difficulty of defining a population, the clinal nature of variation, and heterogeneity across the genome (Long and Kittles 2003). In general, however, an average of 85% of statistical genetic variation exists within local populations, ≈7% is between local populations within the same continent, and ≈8% of variation occurs between large groups living on different continents.{{sfn|Lewontin|1972}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jorde |first1=Lynn B. |last2=Carey |first2=John C. |last3=Bamshad |first3=Michael J. |last4=White |first4=Raymond L. |date=2000 |title=Medical Genetics |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Mosby (imprint)|Mosby]] |isbn=978-0-8151-4608-7}}{{page needed|date=October 2021}}</ref> The [[recent African origin]] theory for humans would predict that in Africa there exists a great deal more diversity than elsewhere and that diversity should decrease the further from Africa a population is sampled. Hence, the 85% average figure is misleading: Long and Kittles find that rather than 85% of human genetic diversity existing in all human populations, about 100% of human diversity exists in a single African population, whereas only about 60% of human genetic diversity exists in the least diverse population they analyzed (the Surui, a population derived from New Guinea).{{sfn|Long|2009|p=802}} Statistical analysis that takes this difference into account confirms previous findings that "Western-based racial classifications have no taxonomic significance".<ref name=":12"/>