This is a comprehensive and detailed note on lecture 7; human variation and adaptations for Anth 102.
*Essential Study Material!!
*For you, at a price that's fair enough!!
*
Human Variation & Adaptation
Historical Views of Human Variation-the “Race Concept” & Racism
Contemporary Interpretations of Human Population Diversity
The Adaptive Significance of Human Variation
Evolutionary Significance of Infectious Disease
Types of Variation
Within group: differences between individuals in the same group
Between group: differences in the average phenotype in different groups
What is a race?
A group of populations sharing biological traits that distinguish them from other such groups
Applied sloppily in humans:
Skin color, national origin, religion
European Racial Classifications
Go back to 1700’s
False belief that intellect and cultural factors are genetically inherited
Classifications by different people don’t agree
Do note traits with geographic patterning (e.g., skin color).
Q: Does biological variation in skin pigmentation support a system of racial classification?
Human Variation—Complex traits like skin pigmentation are continuous; race categories are discrete
History of settlement in the US. Original large populations came from the ends of the pigmentation
spectrum, Europe and West Africa. This has given rise to the idea of 2 distinct races; the middle of the
spectrum, which exists elsewhere, was missing.
Correspondence of Different Traits
A meaningful race concept would have to work for a number of independent traits
Race concepts do not. Different traits lump different human populations together.
Race concepts assume between group variation much greater than within group variation
INCORRECT ASSUMPTION!!
Blood groups, other genetic polymorphisms show that:
88-90% of human genetic variation found within groups
Between group variation (ie European versus African) accounts for 10-12% of total
human genetic variation
Conclusions on “Race”
“Race concept” lacks biological support
False belief that intellect and cultural factors are predominantly genetically determined
Race concept assumes that one's own group is superior to other groups.
Racism is a cultural, not a biological phenomenon, and is found worldwide.
1
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller anyiamgeorge19. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $10.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
