Race Pretend student in ANT 2000: Introduction to

Anthropology

What we learned… �  The main points were:

�  Basic understanding of how humans evolved from other hominids

�  Humans originated in Africa and migrated out

http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/files/2011/11/Geno-Project-Human-Migration-Map_print-590x421.jpg

Scientific Method �  Learned about how science is a WAY of knowing

�  Observation and evidence are part of science

�  http://www.becominghuman.org/node/interactive-documentary

Human Diversity �  Skin color is not by country but by geographical

location and UV rays

�  Things that affect skin color: �  UV radiation, the equator, melanin, and vitamin D

http://www.understandingrace.org/humvar/skin_02.html

Culture and Evolution �  Culture can change how we evolve

�  Our physical traits are changing all the time

�  Science is an unfinished process

�  Race is not a fixed category

Looking at sickle-cell disease

�  This isn’t a black disease

�  Sickle-cell developed due to our culture and farming practices

�  Malaria present in hot-tropical climates – Africa and Mediterranean

http://dwb.unl.edu/Teacher/NSF/C08/C08Links/www.mcet.edu/genome/sicklecell/genesis.html

What are the advantages of sickle-cell?

2 parents that give the trait of sickle-cell is deadly.

1 trait of sickle-cell passed on Is not deadly, but beneficial for Surviving malaria.

Malaria more rampient now than earlier years because farmers started clearing forests. This allowed infected mosquitos to feed on humans instead of canopy animals. Malaria will eventually kill humans and leave no offspring.