With the U.S. presidential election in sight, the racial divide is more prevalent than ever across the U.S. and the world. A relatively large number of individuals have made it clear that they will or will not vote for Barack Obama simply because of his skin color. This fascinating behavior is steeped in deep rooted historical and cultural connections, but what if its due to something deeper? Something so intrinsic that it is simply instinctual to associate with those of a like appearance.
This week in Nature, a trans-national team of zoologists published an article demonstrating what we all knew in the first place...everyone's a racist. The group examined the mating habits of similar yet visually distinct populations of cichlids that inhabit African lakes. The scientists observed that red and blue varieties of the fish species did not interbreed with each other, despite being biologically capable. However, those same cichlid species will mate regardless of thier partners color if the lakes in which they lived were polluted to the point where thier vision was impaired. The researchers concluded that the blue fish and red fish don't mate with one another simply by discriminating against fish of a different color. This supports the notion that species can evolve separately from one another using a theoretical evolutionary strategy called sensory drive, which defines that organisms use their senses rather than instinct to discern appropriate mating partners. These studies demonstrated that each variety of fish maintained their 'racial purity' if you will, by discriminating based on skin color.
Maybe Dave Chappelle was on to something...
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