Modern Human

Biological Variability
Concept of Race

Physical (Biological)
Anthropology

Sub-field of Anthropology concerned

with human biology and evolution

Developed to explain the extent of

physical variation among living
peoples

Age of Exploration

Europe Became
Aware of the Extent
of Human
Biological Variation

Concepts of Race
Tied to Colonialism

Human Biological Variability

POLYGENIST
SCHOOL

MONOGENIST
SCHOOL

Different groups
encountered were in
fact different species
different creations
Variability solved!

We are all one species!

Variability unsolved
Development of the
Concept of Race

Biological Races

Variability seen in typological terms,

that is, types or varieties of
humans

Biological Anthropology became

involved in developing the correct
racial taxonomy for humankind

Classification of Human
Groups

Folk Taxonomies

Classification of some class of

phenomenon based on cultural
traditions

Do not always correspond to reality

Folk Taxonomies of Race

America = 4 -5 Races?
Japan = Consider Koreans as a separate Race
In Japan and US Race is fixed and assigned at birth
Brazil = 40 different Races
=Race is fluid based on socio- economics

Are these categories reflections of reality?

Yes and No!

Folk Taxonomies of Race

Yes =
Social Reality

Social Race
Reflected in many
forms of behavior

No =
No Biological Reality

No biological Races
No racial
classification scheme
has any more
scientific merit than
any other!
Ethnocentric ideas!

Biological Race

A population differing in the

FREQUENCY OF CERTAIN ALLELES
from other populations within the
same species.
Genetic definition
Since we cannot determine allele
frequency, we rely on PHENOTYPIC
characteristics

ex. Skin color

(Genotype + Environment =
Phenotype)

Problems with Race

Classifications

Typologies are seen as static, stable

divisions in humankind

However, gene frequencies are always

changing every generation!
Whatever way you define your categories,
there will always be people that don t fit!

Problems with Race

Classifications

Gene flow (in the long run) reduces

genetic variation!
Gene Flow is the Rule!
There are no, and never have been
pure races

Problems with Race

Classifications

European Americans have about

African Americans have about

5% African and 3% Native American

genes

20% European and 3% Native

American genes

Native Americans have about

30% European and 5% African genes

Problems with Race

Classifications

Early anthropologists were looking for

statistical averages to define racial
groups

Descriptive

However, they ignored

1) Range of Biological Variability

2) Adaptation to the Environment

Traits existed because of Natural Selection

Problems with Race

Classifications

Physical traits evidenced in people

around the world were NOT
aspects of a TYPE of Human

But, GENETIC ADAPTATIONS TO

ENVIRONMENTS by Our Ancestors

Our Relationship to
Sunlight (UV)

Essential to Health:

Vitamin D (Sunshine Vitamin)

Maintenance of Healthy Bones Milk, Cholesterol

Proper functioning of the heart, nervous & immune systems
Folic Acid = Integral in Cell Growth
Deficiencies = Rickets, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, heart
disease, etc.

Deleterious to Health

Destroys Folic Acid (Folate)

Deficiencies = Birth defects, anemia

Causes Skin Cancer

Melanin

Specialized Pigment largely

responsible for skin, hair and eye color

Melanin absorbs light; More Melanin

darker skin color ex. tanning
More melanin = darker skin, hair and eyes
Albino = enzyme deficiency which
produces little or no melanin

Skin Color (Melanin)

Dark-colored skin

advantageous near the

equator; greater degree
of ultraviolet radiation

Melanin Protects the

Skin
Protection from Folic
Acid Deficiency

Provides an Adaptive
Advantage

Light-colored skin

advantageous away
from the equator; lesser
degree of ultraviolet
radiation

Protection from Cold

Vitamin D Regulation

Provides an Adaptive
Advantage

Inuit Dark-Skinned - Is Something Fishy Going

On?

Fish: High Levels of Vitamin D

Biological Races Do Not

Exist in Humankind!

Genetically, we
are far more
similar than
dissimilar

Out of Africa

Clines and Clinal

Distributions

Continuous change in a biological

trait or trait frequency over time and
space

Expressed in GRADATIONS

Geographic generalizations do exist,

but, there are no boundaries between
one expression of a trait and another

Single Trait?

Clinal Distributions

Trait Boundaries are

Arbitrary
Different Traits Give
Different Divisions
Traits show no
Concordance
Clusters of Traits
are Useless

Skin Color Is Clinal In

Distribution

Are There Racial

Differences?

Nature Genetics:

Population clusters identified by genotype

analysis seem to be more informative than
those identified by skin color or selfdeclaration of race

Distinct Races??
Genotype to advance medical
science

Personalized Medicine

New England Journal of Medicine:

3,000 patients for lung function

Recorded standard information on race
Also, genetic ancestry through genetyping

Results: Simple race classification

insufficient in understanding a patients
diverse genetic background.

Race and Genetics

Race is not a concept that emerged

from within modern genetics.
It was imposed by colonial history!
Its meaning is inseparable from
cultural origin
Race is the stone age genetics!
We are a Huge Extended Family!

Are There Distinct Races?

Race is not built on any particular trait

It is built on Ancestry!
We all harbor clues to our genetic roots
Lets concentrate on what we know
Use that to advance medical science

CULTURE

Human Major Adaptive Mechanism

Products of Cultural Ability

social systems, technology, etc.

GENETICS

Basis for human biological variability

All populations are constantly

evolving

Gene frequencies are constantly

changing each generation
Gene frequency cannot be displayed in
an individual, only a population!

Human biological races

Are at best a statistical abstraction

Based on frequency of certain allele

characters observed in small
populations

No stable divisions of humans

Human races as we construct them do

not exist in nature as units of study in
science

Important Points
to Remember
Biological Variability =
DYNAMIC EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES

As social barriers are erected & broken

down = Gene Flow patterns change
Environmental conditions alter =
Selective Pressures shift (Natural
Selection)
Mutations are always occurring

Human Morphology &

Behavior

Are the products of the dynamic

interaction between

CULTURAL
BIOLOGICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES

Why are there genetic

differences?

We dont know completely!

All we can do is indicate traits and
genes that seem to be distributed
because of ADAPTATIONS to
environments
And, carried along by the
movements of people and reflect
ANCESTRY

ADAPTATION + ANCESTRY
= HUMAN BIOLOGICAL
POPULATION
DIFFERENCES
Both processes may act
together

Summary

Racial categories do
not correspond to
biological facts
Beware of simplistic
explanations
Variation is the
product of successful
biological & cultural
evolutions!

RACE - Are We So Different?

Project

of the American
Anthropological Association
www.understandingrace.org