Agustin Fuentes
@Anthrofuentes
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Professor of Anthropology @Princeton , Author of #TheCreativeSpark , #WhyWeBelieveEvolutionandtheHumanWayofBeing , and #RaceMonogamyandOtherLiesTheyToldyou
United States
Joined July 2016
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"Race, Monogamy and Other lies they told you: busting myths about human nature" 2nd ed out May 10th!!! Heavily revised, reworked and updated for the 2020s >120 new references. Check it out. Use source code 21W2240 online and save 30% at
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Greetings twitterverse! my latest for SciAm in response to the ongoing “sex is not binary” vs. the call to define human women and men via their gametes. This is the ~900 word version, stay tuned for the 50,000 word version in 2024.
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1/Latest WSJ Opinion piece on why sex is "binary" by
@SwipeWright
is another reason why people really need to learn about biology in general and human biology in particular. Here are just a few lines that are factually incorrect from the piece:
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Capitalism is not human nature and did not arise via natural selection. Accurate info about human evolutionary histories, and how evolution works, is sorely needed. We (folks who work on human evolution) have to do a better job of making sure ignorance like this is not common.
@TheStalwart
That's because you're actually a smart person instead of a weird academic and so you understand that capitalism works because it reflects human nature as selected for through thousands of generations of evolution.
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been following this for over a decade...so weird...
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Dear
@nytimes
please give an anthropologist a shot at an opinion piece on race and/or human nature(s). Reich, Wade, Pinker, etc... are not the only (or the most integrative) voices for science.
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NYT rejected an Op-Ed on David Reich's essay by 50 scientists (a letter to the editor (~125 words) might make it in). NYT again refuses to give anthropology a voice despite the fact that we generated much of the data and conducted many of the studies Reich cites.
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again: I am not arguing against sex (male and female) or arguing that sex differences don't matter. There are sexes and differences between them matter. But the overlaps also matter and are sufficient that the frame of a "sex binary" is misleading and inhibits better research.
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2/ " There are only two sexes. This is true throughout the plant and animal kingdoms." Totally untrue. Most animals have two sexes, but some have more than two, and some have only one. Let's not even get started on plants.
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Anthropologists & other social & biological scientists this is not the time to be passive. Pervasive racism, sexism, and fascism is deploying erroneous notions of biology and "nature" everyday. Work against this in the classroom, on social media, and across the public sphere now!
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For clarification of discussions about human variation please remember that race ≠ ethnic group ≠ population ≠ ancestry. These are four different ways to describe, conceptualize and discuss human variation…and cannot be use interchangeably.
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The Prof. here is Irwin Bernstein, whose work on primate dominance and agonistic behavior is pioneering and influential. Instructors, and students, should NOT be put in this situation by selfish and ignorant individuals. Prof. Bernstein rocks.
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Racism kills. Anti-racist action is necessary. For all those in academia who yell and complain about "woke" and "lefty" scholars who are pushing "too hard" for anti-racist education-- Shut up. Be part of the solution, not the problem.
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Anthropology delves into the messy, wonderful, and terrifying reality of humanity. We embrace diversity and complexity and strive to assist in building a more informed, just, and sustainable world. Knowledge is power and a prerequisite for change.
#AnthroDay
@AmericanAnthro
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That such a cluster of organizations whose primary focus is the biology, evolution, and biocultural realties of Humans developed this statement indicates where contemporary understandings of both science and justice are right now. .
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lack of racist, sexist, classist, and other willfully ignorant views is not a lack of "viewpoint diversity"...it's just good practice. It's quite reasonable to not include factually erroneous and intentionally discriminatory viewpoints.
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"The scientific community widely recognizes that “sex” is a complex category composed of multiple physiologies. Yet in practice, basic scientific research often treats “sex” as a single, internally consistent, and often binary variable. " excellent.
It's finally out! This has been my intellectual child for quite some time. As neuroendocrinologists, it's our privilege and duty to lead the charge on deconstructing binary sex frameworks that plague our science and harm our society.
#SexVariables
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To say sex is not binary is not to say there are no key differences across reproductive physiologies..simply that the majority of sex biology emerges from non-binary organismal developmental variation--thus "sexes" are not different kinds but are variations on an organismal theme
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I was saving this for tomorrow (from tomorrow's lecture)...but apparently it needs to be restated now.
Race ≠ Ethnic group ≠ Population ≠ Ancestry. These are four different ways to describe, conceptualize and discuss human variation…and cannot be used interchangeably.
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Dear
@RichardDawkins
and
@Evolutionistrue
why do serious attempts at reflection and engagement with substantive issues of bias and historical/philosophical structuring in Evol. Biol. anger you so much?
American Naturalist used to be a great journal. Very sad. How could they sink so low?
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Unfortunately the myths/lies continue. Knowledge is power only if we share and use it. A good book is getting updated with new chapters, many revisions, contemporary issues & tons of new citations /studies/data/analyses. Just submitted copy edits. 2nd Ed. out in May 2022.
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Just had first meeting of my Race and Racism class for this term...66 amazing students and great discussion so far... key first day point:
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Rising Star chamber...intense, widespread and amazing evidence of fire use, hearths, burnt bone and more. No evidence of any Homo (none) aside from H. naledi...the one with a ~600cc brain. this changes everything.
@LeeRberger
@johnhawks
@Keneiloe
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1/3 wow. just wow. some of the reactions to my
@SAPIENS_org
essay on the biology of sex and sex/gender in humans demonstrate exactly why I wrote it. The anger at the possibility that the world is not so clear cut is deep. The hate is scary and the vitriol disturbing.
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Please stop using the word "tribal" to describe political partisanship, economic and political allegiances/perspectives, societal divisions/discord, or modes of perceived "identity" across the political spectrum. Call these division and biases what they actually are.
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Michelle Bezanson has left the building. We all owe Michelle so much. She was an amazing colleague, a wonderful teacher and mentor, and the most generous and caring friend anyone could have. Read her work, marvel at her art, listen to what she had to say, and try to be like her.
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Important essay form Angela Saini (who is no longer on twitter I think, due to insane racist harassment): "Want to do better science? Admit you’re not objective"
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Race is real, and it matters in our society, but not how racists think it does. Race is not a genetic cluster nor a population. Race is not biology but racism has biological effects. Stay tuned for series of articles/notes coming out in response to Reich's inaccurate NYT essay.
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Celebrate
#AnthroDay
by thinking, being aware of your biases, caring for others, and trying to understand that the world is (and has been) diverse, complex and messy... and that is a good thing.
@AmericanAnthro
@news4anthros
@anthroworks
@culanth
@AmAnthroJournal
@BioAnthNews
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I often get the feeling people (esp. angry tweeters) have no idea of what biological anthropology and human biology are and that the people who are trained in those areas might know something about both biology and humans...
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Yep. Fire. Absolute evidence. A hearth discovered by
@Keneiloe
in Dragin's back, soot covered ceilings in Dinaledi seen by
@LeeRberger
. There is strong evidence for use of fire in Rising Star. Yep. Fire.
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Anthropologists and others on how not to talk about race
@AmericanAnthro
@SAAorg
@WennerGrenOrg
@culanth
@PhysAnth
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always good to keep in mind when frustrated at the current state of affairs...from Non-Sequitur by Wiley
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1/ Hi all. Let's clarify a few things. A Thread: First and foremost, the editorial was specifically focused on “The Descent of Man.” The bottom line of my editorial that it is a text from which to learn, but not to venerate” is neither radical nor particularly provocative.
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Given a slew of recent twitter activity on the evolution/naturalness of Patriarchy, I offer some thoughts from a forthcoming publication on human evolution and patriarchy. a too long 🧵
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Dear
@nytimes
do we really need another multipage spread on Steven Pinker (he has blocked me so I can't tag him here) and how he is such great scholar? The "why cant we just be positive" is getting stale and the new just be "rational/logical" is...oy. sigh.
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8/ plus, and to the entire point of the piece: for humans an ova is not a woman and an sperm is not a man...to assert that gametes are the only relevant feature in the complex development, cultural, and evolutionary relevance of human sex biology is factually incorrect.
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"Called out" by
@Evolutionistrue
again which is always followed by a wave of pretty messed up emails and other "notes" from a cluster of very angry, hateful folks. But, on the bright side I am being inducted into the
@americanacad
today...so balance is nice.
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Reading Chimpanzee Politics played a pivotal role in my formation as a student, and de Waal's work has been shaping my intellectual landscape for almost 40 years. Thank you Frans de Waal. You will be missed, but your work will be read & deeply appreciated for generations to come.
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1/ Yet again, let me be clear, my editorial was about "Descent". I did not read "Descent" as if it were produced in our own awakened intellectual environment. I read it as a scholar of evolutionary science and an anthropologist. A thread
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I am proud to have served with
@DeborahBolnick
,
@TinaLasisi
,
@robingnelson
,
@SangHeeFLee
,
@Hood_Biologist
, Sheela Athreya, and Rebecca Ackermann to produce a new
@PhysAnth
Statement on Race and Racism
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wow. The anger, myopia and meanness in the "debates" around sex biology and the human experience. just wow. The US and UK (where most of what I saw today comes from) need to really improve their elementary school biology and history. A little compassion goes a long way too.
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Interesting that when one makes a cogent and data-based argument for key roles of care and community in human evolution one is often labeled as being “political,” but similar arguments for key roles of violence and aggression are not labeled as such.
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just a quick reminder re: discussions about human genetics and human variation:
race ≠ ethnic group ≠ population ≠ ancestry
These are four different measures/variables/descriptors and are not synonymous
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13/ the key for
@SwipeWright
is that policies around gender/sex must "be rooted in properties of bodies, not “identity.”" This assertion/belief misrepresents the biology, history, and cultural dynamics of bodies, identities and sex in one fell swoop. see final...
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What if we have natures not a nature? What if there are many successful ways to be human?
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4/ some animals produce only one type of gamete, others produce two types, others alternate across the lifetime producing one or the other, see next
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So, given all of this, when someone argues that we should base legal decisions about human lives on which gametes one might produce they are not talking biology, they are talking ideology.
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3/"An organism’s sex is defined by the type of gamete (sperm or ova) it has the function of producing" this is a very limited definition of sex, but even is one uses it there are a lot of variations..see next
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Happy Mothers Day to all primates. Primate moms rock.
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Super honored to be awarded this student driven recognition
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14/ I know many of you reading this will yell and scream here... this is twitter after all...but I encourage those truly interested to go read some actual research work in this area of biology and human variation ...I'll place a bunch of links after this....
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Hi there all of you folks yelling. Please actually read the editorial (and "Descent" too). One can a) admire Darwin as a scholar, b) criticize his many inaccurate intellectual commitments and c) invest effort in making evolutionary biology even better.
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consider this image carefully and fully...we can change the way we act and think about ourselves and the world. If everyone takes a few small steps in 2018 things will be better.
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Freya will not be forgotten. In a deeply multispecies world humans cannot arrogantly/ignorantly engage the complexity of coexistence by killing those who are forced to share anthropogenic ecologies. Humans have a responsibility to react with compassion and ecological generosity.
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Day
#1
Intro to Anthropology, my first class
@Princeton
All in 2D but great engagement from an excellent group of students!
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but I'll give
@FoxNews
props for 2 things: they did spell my name right and they used this awesome collage for their image of me (why? I don't know, but hey grimacing baboon and Ivy League Prof seems like a great team...not sure about the random grass/yard bit however)
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also...For clarification of discussions about human variation please remember that race ≠ ethnic group ≠ population ≠ ancestry. These are four different ways to describe, conceptualize and discuss human variation…and cannot be used interchangeably.
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Re. latest twitter storm on gender/sex: Amazing gratitude for all those who have been so supportive and kind up front and behind scenes (you all rock!), and giant thanks to those who disagree/debate but are respectful and serious. The rest of you: get a life and read more.
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it is depressing how many out there read the (accurate) statement "biological patterns related to sex are often more complex than simple binaries" as some radical anti-biology anti-evolution political rant. We need to do better in teaching basic biology and human variation.
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A brief glance at my feeds suggests the need to post this again "Race does not provide an accurate representation of human biological variation. It was never accurate in the past, and it remains inaccurate when referencing contemporary human populations."
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7/ so you can call large gamete producers "female" and go not further, but if that is the entirety of your definition, then it is a poor representation of the actual biology and evolutionary dynamics of any given organism. It is sloppy (lazy) science. see next---
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5/ plus producing the same type of gamete does not equal the same selection pressures, physiology or morphology on a given body/species--> see next
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why is anyone surprised a chimpanzee can show another chimpanzee something interesting? Of course they can. Why would anyone think they could not (or would not)? Primates & other social mammals + a range of organisms find marvel/interest/(beauty?) in the world and share it.
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why does the position that many (most?) aspects of human evolution and human biology are complicated, even messy, and require careful, nuanced and thoughtful discussion make some folks so damn angry?
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Bit of info as folks prepare for Anthro Day 2024: Tracy Chapman is amazing, insightful, and her music speaks to a wide swath of people across decades. She also majored in Anthropology (at Tufts).
@AmericanAnthro
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There are many views on EO Wilson, but today everyone should honor his hugely important contributions to natural history and the possibilities for a sincere biophilia. This is my favorite quote of his: "When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all."
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We published a model that shows that Pinker’s use and interpretation of the warfare data is wrong and thus challenges a core aspect of his “Better Angels” premise. In his dismissive response Pinker totally avoids that fact.
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RBG. Do not let all her work be in vain. Vote. Be active. Be loud. Be compassionate. Remember that women make up more than half the world.
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For all of you yelling "but he's an anthropologist" please note I am degreed in Zoology and Anthropology. Plus, many anthropologists (like me) are trained in human and other primate biology and do work specifically on biological form and function and its evolution. see
#AABA2023
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social distancing doesn't mean not being social...we are creative and imaginative. Stay social, stay safe.
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9/ no one who knows anything about biology is arguing that "the biology of sex is so complex as to defy all categorization" that is a false argument and (see next)
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6/ hyenas, whiptail lizards, humans and cave beetles all have morphs that produce large gametes but the lives and ecologies of those "females" (defined by large gamete production) are radically different due to different evolutionary trajectories, processes and dynamics-see next
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11/ the real issues at hand in the piece are not about gametes and sex biology but about the reality of transexual and transgender lives in the current moment...here is where the essay moves from a purported "biology" to political framing. see next
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I've always said, if orcas had thumbs (hands) we'd all be in trouble. But seriously, orcas (and all cetaceans) have complex, dynamic social/cognitive/emotional lives and humans need take that a bit more seriously.
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#RisingStar
is the most amazing site for hominin evolutionary studies. Best team and most amazing discoveries. Plus cool morning mist. Loved my time there. So much more to come from this place/team.
@LeeRberger
@Keneiloe
@johnhawks
and the whole crew rock.
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Mood. (about to host very cool conference and give up trying to navigate the clusterF*&% that is my twitter notifications for a few days)
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We owe the other primates more than just interest or respect.
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Just found out that in a forthcoming book by a behavioral geneticist I am aggressively misrepresented and obliquely compared to Stalin. Sigh. Will read the book.
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ok, just back from time away from the internet and 23andMe sends me a note telling me "You have a new Trait report available: Ice Cream Flavor Preference."... I see things continue to go downhill.
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I never thought I'd have to say this to a prominent biologist but here goes: an egg is not a woman and a sperm is not a man. There is a bit more going on.
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Hey
@shi_huang5
you claim to be driven by the science of human biological variation and evolutionary processes, so be a scientist and do some reading of the abundant scientific literature before making your claims about race and "ranking"--- here a teeny 🧵of suggestions
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As scientists and educators we have the data and the analyses that reveal that racism underlies this current crisis. Compassion and the desire for justice scream for systemic change. Right now. Not acting is not an option.
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Not that this should need saying, but there is nothing "traditional" about tradwives at all. It's a made-up role. It never existed as a pattern or tradition outside of a very small lived slice of time/people/space and is an idealized imaginary (of a few men).
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Being criticized on social media is not being "cancelled." Anyone posting on social media and making public pronouncements has to accept that pushback is an option. And if you lie and harm or abuse from a powerful podium, you should be held responsible.
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On a positive note a bunch of people who never heard of
#CriticalRaceTheory
will now be looking in to. Folks should tweet their fave related articles/sources to help out. I'll start with the
@AmAnthroJournal
volume on whiteness
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1/6 Super excited that this collaboration with the excellent
@MarcKissel
is finally out..a few years in the making but well worth it. A thread to set the stage and hopefully peak your interest in reading it. .
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So extremely pleased and honored to have :"Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being" awarded one of the Inaugural ISSR Book Prizes in the Field of Science and Religion. Much gratitude
@the_issr
@yalepress
@TempletonPress
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10/ and here I agree with the author when he states it is "wrong to represent the sex binary in an overly simplistic way." but then he has already done that (e.g. sex=gametes). see next..
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Call out the lies every day. Do not tolerate racism, sexism, and ignorance. Seek out data, be informed and be part of the solution. Be as kind and respectful as you can. And, please, wear a damn mask.
#behuman
#makeadifference
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Sucks that this needs repeating: "Black" "White" "Asian" "African" "European" are not biological groupings/categories or proxies thereof. Thus using such labels in genetic analyses is error laden. Great paper showing (yet again) how and why this is the case soon.
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Thanks so much to
@PhysAnth
and all of my amazing colleagues for this honor. There are so many doing great work in this area (incl. those that I nominated for this award!). I am humbled to be in such great company for this award cohort.
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