Assignment: Human Morphological Variation
1. Imagine you're with some friends talking about variation and how many races there are. One person says that there are three and another thinks that there are five. Would you agree with either one? Why or why not?
2. For the same group of friends in question 1 (none of whom have had a course in biological anthropology), how would you explain how scientific knowledge doesn't support their preconceived notions about human races?
3. In the twentieth century, how did the scientific study of human diversity change from the more traditional approach?
4. Why can we say that variations in human skin color are the result of natural selection in different environments? Why can we say that less-pigmented skin is a result of conflicting selective factors?
5. We know that infectious disease has played an important role in human evolution. Do you think it still plays a role in human adaptation today?
6. How have human cultural practices influenced the patterns of infectious disease seen today? Provide as many examples as you can, including some not discussed in this chapter.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.
Text Book: Modern Human Variation and Adaptation.