4: Race and Human Variation

Biological Anthropology Lab · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY 1.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Learning Objectives
    • Identify that human biological traits are distributed in non-concordant patterns
    • Recognize that patterns of human variation do not fit discrete racial groups
    • Use biological anthropological terms to describe patterns of human variation

    • 4.1: Human Variation in Biological Anthropology Today
      This page explores human genetic variation, emphasizing its nonconcordance and clinal nature, which challenges outdated racial concepts. It highlights the majority of genetic differences occur within populations rather than between them, and discusses the impact of historical migrations from Africa on traits like skin color and cranial shape.
    • 4.2: Patterns of Human Variation
      This page explores human variation, highlighting concepts like polymorphism and non-concordance of traits. It involves students analyzing inherited features and categorizing themselves racially, revealing that human traits vary more within populations than between them, challenging distinct racial classifications. The conclusion prompts further investigation into human diversity and its impact on the understanding of race.

    This page titled 4: Race and Human Variation was last modified on Sun, 17 May 2026 00:07:58 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 1.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Explorations (Anthropology) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.