Mendelism and Evolution

Abstract

As a member of the British Association who had the privilege, by the generous hospitality of Mr. Richard Marsh, of seeing the white and brown Indians from Panama at Mr. Marsh's temporary residence near Prescott, Ontario, I should like to comment briefly on Mr. Julian Huxley's letter on the subject in NATURE of September 27. It seems to me that there is some degree of inconsistency in Mr. Huxley's remarks. He states that all authorities are agreed that the condition of the white Indians has no racial significance, and yet finally concludes that the case shows how evolutionary change may originate in single mutations of considerable magnitude. I suppose that the phrase “has no racial significance” means that the difference between white and brown Indians is not in any sense or degree similar to the differences between the various races of mankind. It would follow, therefore, that however interesting and important the white mutation may be, it does not show that the evolution of human races has had anything to do with mutations of this kind.