Abstract
Discussion of nature vs nurture, or “genes vs environment,” is often obscured by a failure to understand that what is being considered is the variation in genetic make-up of individuals, and how it relates to differences between them in the characteristic or trait of interest. Therefore, a clear distinction needs to be made between genetic differences within a population, and genetic differences between populations (e.g., between different races, or between blacks and whites). For example, genetic factors may explain much of the difference in a characteristic between two racial groups, but within any such group, the variation may be entirely due to nongenetic factors. Consequently, discussion about the roles of genes and environment in explaining variation in a trait must depend on, first, whether one is considering within or between population comparisons.
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Hopper, J.L. (2000). How to Determine If, and by How Much, Genetic Variation Influences Osteoporosis. In: Econs, M.J. (eds) The Genetics of Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-033-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-033-9_2
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