A: To answer this let's check out what biological scientist Michael Rienzi had to say in an article published in, American Renaissance in December 2000:

Although it is true that human populations share roughly 99.9% of their genes, it also true that humans share over 98% of their genes with chimpanzees, and [85% to 90% with mice]. Many of these genes produce basic body structures all mammals have in common; differences between organisms are caused by very small genetic differences.
     Current evidence suggests that all the sex differences between men and women are the result of just one genetic difference-one gene (the testes determining factor) out of an estimated 50,000-100,000! This would mean men and women are 99.998 to 99.999% genetically identical, yet no one suggests that sex is a mere "social construct." In like manner, the genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees, which no one denies, can be described as 12 to 20 times the genetic differences between racial groups.
     Tiny genetic differences can have a huge phenotypic consequences because genes are ordered in a hierarchal fashion. Some genes are "master genes," and control the expression of a number of other genes, each of which may further control several other genes. Also, the expression of each gene is controlled by regions called "promoters" and "enhancers," usually located in front of the functional part of the genes. A small change in the promoter region of gene "X" can alter it's expression. X may control genes A, B, C, D, E, F. Gene A in turn may control it's own set of genes. Even if all of the genes other than "X" are identical between two groups, the one difference in "X" would be sufficient to produce large group differences.
     It is not the quantity of genetic difference that is important, but the nature of the differences: which genes are different, in what ways they differ, and the consequences of these differences. Breeds of dogs are analogous to human races. It is likely that different breeds are as close genetically as different races of humans, but there is no doubt that subtle variations result in significant differences in appearance, intelligence, and behavior.
     It is also worth considering that a butterfly and the caterpillar from which it developed are 100% genetically identical! These genes do not change; the enormous differences between caterpillar and butterfly result from the activation of different genes at different times. This should give some pause to those who think a 0.1% difference in tens of thousands of humans genes "makes no difference."

                                                                                   (from Race is a Myth?, p. 1)

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