Human Variation

Question 1

The most morphologically cariable species of all living animals

Answer 1

Humans

The genetic basis of this variation is likely quite small

Question 2

How much do humans and chmipanzees differ

Answer 2

They differ genetically by 1-2%

Question 3

Skin Color

Answer 3

Most frequently explained traits

Most systems of classification of human variation were based upon it

Question 4

1350 BC racial classifications (from the Egyptians)

Answer 4

Red: Egyptians
Yellow: People of the East (asians)
White: People of the North
Black: Africans from the South

Question 5

16th Century

Answer 5

Intense explotation

Question 6

The first scientific attempt to categorize the newly discovered variation among humans

Answer 6

Linneaus’

Himi europaeus, Homo afer, Homo asiaticus, Homo americanus

Question 7

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach

Answer 7

Classified humans into 5 categories

Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Malay, Ethiopian, American

White, Yellow, Red, Black, and Brown

Question 8

Blumenbach’s criticism of his work

Answer 8

Skin color was not a discrete category

overlapping expression between groups

Question 9

Uniform traits

Answer 9

Traits that are uniformly expressed

“Either/or”

Question 10

Nonadaptive Traits

Answer 10

Characteritics that are stable not influenced by the environment

Skin color is adaptive ->changes with sun exposure

Question 11

Cephalic Index

Answer 11

Method of describing the shape of the head

Question 12

How was the cephalic index derived?

Answer 12

Dividing the maximum head breadth by maximum length and multiplying by 100 to gvie ratio of head breadth to length

Question 13

Doliochocephalic

Answer 13

Index less than 75

Northern europeans

Question 14

Brachicephalic

Answer 14

Index over 80

Southern Europeans

Question 15

Mesocephalic

Answer 15

Index between 75 and 80

Question 16

Early attempts criteria for human variation classification

Answer 16

• Outward physical characteristics
• Geographical origin

Question 17

Some anthropologists turned to ____

Answer 17

Blood type

Question 18

Carlton Coon Human Classifications

Answer 18

• Austaloids
• Mongoloids
• Caucasoids
• Congoids
• Capoids

Question 19

Why doesn’t describing people in a geographical area work for human calssification?

Answer 19

Migration

Question 20

How do biological anthropologists think of human variation?

Answer 20

A result of evolutionary factors
- Genetic drift
- Gene flow
- Founder Effect
- Adaptation (via Natural Selection)

Question 21

Skin Color

Answer 21

Long term adaptation and Natural selection in human populations

Question 22

Gloger’s Rule

Answer 22

Populations of birds and mammals living in warmer climates have more melanin and therefore have darker skin/fur/feathers

Question 23

Skin Color is influenced by 2 substances

Answer 23

• hemoglobin
• Carotene
• Pigment Melanin

Question 24

Melanin

Answer 24

Granular substance produced by specialized cells in the epidermis called melanocytes

Question 25

All humans have the same number of:

Answer 25

Melanocytes

Question 26

What affects different skin color?

Answer 26

The amount of melanin and the size of the melanin granules

Question 27

Melanin provides:

Answer 27

Protection form overexposure to sunlight radiation

Question 28

What does exposure to sunlight trigger?

Answer 28

A protective mechanism in the form of temporarily increased melanin productions

Question 30

Rickets

Answer 30

Insurfficient amounts of vitamin D during childhood