Population definitions that are based on race, ethnicity, religion, language, nationality, culture and so on tend to be contentious and polarize discussions about the ethics and science of population-specific human genetic research. The International HapMap Project, which has aroused many discussions about the issue of population-specific variation, is a case in point. But how critical are human geneticists about existing population categories? Morris W. Foster and Richard R. Sharp address this question on page 790. They propose that broader consideration should be given to the multiple historical sources of genetic variation. This approach would provide a whole-genome perspective with which to evaluate just how accurate these existing population definitions account for how genetic variation is distributed among individuals.
A related issue — that of genetic equity — is explored by John Harris and John Sulston on page 796. Although some fears about genetics-based discrimination or violations of human rights are unfounded, others are real. The authors strongly believe that scientists should take a principled stand against such abuses. They therefore propose a principle of genetic equity, which they hope will guide the direction of genetic research.
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