UNIT 11 MAJOR ‘‘RACES’’ OF THE WORLD REVISION NOTES

 Introduction to Human Races and Anthropological Classification

• Definition of Race:

  • A subdimension of a species defined by inherited physical characteristics that distinguish one population from another (Montagu, 2001).
  • Includes skin pigmentation, hair color and type, facial features (nose, eyes, head shape), stature, and palm/finger prints.

• Purpose of Classification:

  • Anthropologists categorize human diversity into groups to facilitate description and study.

• Complexity and Overlaps:

  • Significant overlap and mixing of physical features among different racial groups.
  • Classification systems are arbitrary and based mainly on physical traits.

• Biological Basis:

  • Features are hypothesized to have developed through adaptation to different ecological zones over centuries.

• Anthropological View:

  • Modern anthropologists avoid using "race" to denote religious, linguistic, or national groups.
  • Focus on geographically patterned biological variations in traits like skin color, body size, etc.

• Visible and Invisible Differences:

  • Visible Traits: Skin, eye, and hair color; body size and shape.
  • Invisible Traits: Blood type, fingerprint patterns, disease susceptibilities.

• Conclusion:

• Homo sapiens exhibit considerable biological diversity, reflecting geographic patterns of variation.
• Race defined as geographic patterns of variation in biological traits among human populations.

Classification of Major Human Races

• Negroid:

• Physical Features: Dark skin pigmentation, curly hair, broad nose, and fuller lips.
• Geographical Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Melanesia.

Classification of Negroid Subgroups

a) True Negroes

• Location: West Africa (Senegal River to eastern Nigeria)
• Physical Features:
  • Dark skin, elongated heads with prognathism
  • Broad, flat noses, average height of 5 feet 8 inches
  • Long arms and legs, sturdy build

b) Forest Negroes

• Location: Sudan, Uganda, neighboring areas
• Physical Features:
  • Muscular build, barrel-shaped chest
  • Everted lips, sloping forehead
  • Elongated heads, short legs

c) Nilotic Negroes

• Location: Sudan, upper Nile valley
• Physical Features:
  • Tall and slim stature
  • Dark skin color, long heads
  • Not protruding face, average height of 5 feet 10 inches

d) Half Hamites

• Location: Kenya, Uganda, Sudan
• Physical Features:
  • Brown skin, woolly head hair
  • Broad, flat noses, average height of 5 feet 8 inches
  • Long heads

e) Bantu-speaking Negroes

• Location: Central and Southern Africa
• Physical Features:
  • Skin color varies from yellow to dark brown
  • Average height of 5 feet 6 inches

f) Bushman

• Location: Southern Angola, Kalahari Desert
• Physical Features:
  • Small stature (average height of 5 feet 2 inches)
  • Lean build, elongated arms and legs
  • Small hands and feet, tightly rolled "peppercorn" hair

g) Hottentots

• Location: Western part of West Africa
• Physical Features:
  • Similar to Bushmen but taller
  • Elongated heads

h) Pygmies

• Geographical Distribution: Congo region, Malay, East Sumatra, Andaman Islands, Philippine Islands
• Physical Features:
  • Very small stature (average height 4 feet 8 inches)
  • Woolly head hair, broad and flat noses
  • Large lips and eyes, medium to broad heads

i) Veddahs

• Location: Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
• Physical Features:
  • Average height of about 5 feet
  • Wavy or slightly curled black head hair
  • Sparse facial and body hair, elongated head shape

j) Pre-Dravidians

• Location: Central and Southern India
• Physical Features:
  • Average height of 5 feet 2 inches
  • Black skin color, dolichocephalic head shape
  • Slightly receding forehead, moderate brow ridges

k) Ainu

• Location: Hokkaido and Sakhalin islands (Japan)
• Physical Features:
• Average height of 5 feet 2 inches, stockily built
• Range of skin colors from brown to white
• Prominent facial and head hair growth, mesocephalic head shape

Classification of Cranial Morphology by Anders Retzius

• First Classification (1840):

  • Types Defined:
    • Dolichocephalae: Elongated skull shape.
    • Brachycephalae: Short skull shape.
  • Intermediate Term:
    • Mesocephalae: Introduced later to describe intermediate skull shapes.

• Measurement Indices:

  • Cephalic Index:
    • Ratio of maximum head width to maximum head length.
    • Used for living individuals.
  • Cranial Index:
    • Similar ratio applied to dry skulls.

• Enhancement of Concept:

  • Introduction of Intermediate Values:
    • Provides a more nuanced classification reflecting diverse facial morphology.

• Facial Index:

  • Definition:
    • Ratio of facial height (Nasion to Gnathion) to bizygomatic width (Zygion to Zygion).
  • Derivation:
    • Greek origins ('prosopon' for face).

• Classification System:

• Categories Based on Numerical Values:
• Euryprosopic: Broad-faced.
• Mesoprosopic: Intermediate face proportions.
• Leptoprosopic: Narrow-faced.

• Caucasoid:

• Physical Features: Light to medium skin tones, straight to wavy hair, narrow noses.
• Geographical Distribution: Europe, North Africa, West Asia, parts of South Asia.

Caucasoid Group: Characteristics and Subgroups

• General Characteristics:
  • Referred to as 'White' people, although includes varied skin tones.
  • Hair: Wavy, straight, or somewhat curly.
  • Skin: Ranges from white to brown.
  • Head Shape: Varied from narrow to broad.
  • Nose: Narrow and pointed.
  • Face: Straight with no prognathism.
  • Cheek Bones: Not prominent.
  • Lips: Generally thin.
  • Forehead and chin: Relatively prominent.

Subgroups of Caucasoids:

a) Mediterranean

• Location: Mediterranean Sea region to Northern India.
• Characteristics:
  • Skin color: Tanned white to brown.
  • Hair: Generally black.
  • Head shape: Dolichocephalic.
  • Average height: 5 feet 4 inches.
  • Lips: Full.

b) Nordic

• Location: Scandinavia, Iceland, Netherlands, etc.
• Characteristics:
  • Hair color: Blonde to light colors.
  • Skin color: White or slightly pinkish.
  • Eyes: Blue or grey.
  • Head shape: Elongated or medium breadth.
  • Nose: Prominent, long, and pointed.
  • Average height: 5 feet 8 inches.

c) Alpine

• Location: Alps Mountains, France, Russia.
• Characteristics:
  • Head shape: Broad with strongly developed brow ridges.
  • Hair color: Blonde or black-brown.
  • Average height: 5 feet 5 inches.
  • Nose: Prominent at the tip.

d) Dinaric

• Location: Switzerland, Slovakia, Albania.
• Characteristics:
  • Head shape: Mesocephaly to brachycephaly.
  • Forehead: Generally vertical.
  • Hair color: Black to brown.
  • Lips: Full, chin strongly developed.
  • Nose: Curved with fleshy tips.
  • Average height: 5 feet 8 inches.

e) Armenoid

• Location: Eastern side of the Black Sea, Armenia, Turkey.
• Characteristics:
  • Resembles Dinaric people.
  • Head shape: Mesocephaly to brachycephaly.
  • Nose: Curved and fleshy, prominent at the tip.
  • Hair color: Dark brown to black.
  • Average height: 5 feet 6 inches.

f) Hamites

• Location: East and North Africa.
• Characteristics:
  • Skin color: White to black.
  • Head shape: Dolichocephalic.
  • Face: Elongated with pointed chin.
  • Body build: Lean, average height 5 feet 5 inches.

g) East Baltic

• Location: Germany, Poland, Finland.
• Characteristics:
  • Hair, skin, and eyes: Generally light.
  • Head shape: Brachycephalic (square-headed).
  • Average height: 5 feet 4 inches.

h) Lapp

• Location: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia.
• Characteristics:
  • Head shape: Brachycephalic (broad).
  • Forehead: Steep but narrow.
  • Skin color: Yellowish to brown.
  • Hair: Brown to black, straight or wavy.
  • Average height: 5 feet 3 inches.

i) Indo-Dravidian

• Location: Most parts of India and Sri Lanka.
• Characteristics:
  • Head shape: Dolichocephalic to brachycephalic.
  • Face: Narrow, without prognathism.
  • Skin color: Dark brown.
  • Lips: Full, prominent noses.
  • Average height: 5 feet 4 inches.

j) Polynesians

• Location: Hawaii to Fiji Islands, New Zealand.
• Characteristics:
  • Body: Strongly built.
  • Head shape: Brachycephalic (broad).
  • Cheek bones: Prominent.
  • Skin color: Light brown.
  • Hair: Black to dark brown, straight or wavy.
  • Average height: 5 feet 8 inches.

• Mongoloid:

• Physical Features: Yellowish to brownish skin tones, straight black hair, epicanthic folds.
• Geographical Distribution: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Arctic regions of North America.

Mongoloid Group: Characteristics and Subgroups

• Origin and Distribution:

  • Likely originated in Central Asia and dispersed widely.
  • Key representatives: People of China and Japan.

• General Characteristics:

  • Skin color: Yellowish to yellowish brown.
  • Head form: Broad (brachycephalic).
  • Hair color: Black; hair texture generally straight.
  • Cheek bones: Prominent.
  • Upper eyelid: Epicanthic fold present.
  • Hair density: Sparse.

Subgroups of Mongoloid Group:

a) Central or Classical Mongoloids

• Regions: Northern China, Tibet, Mongolia.
• Characteristics:
  • Broad head form.
  • Epicanthic eye folds.
  • Prominent cheek bones.
  • Flattened faces.

b) Arctic Mongoloids or Eskimoids

• Regions: Greenland, Alaska, Arctic coast of North America, Northeast Asia.
• Characteristics:
  • Epicanthic eye fold.
  • Prominent cheek bones.
  • Black, straight hair.
  • Large torso, small extremities.

c) American Indians or Amerindians

• Regions: North, Middle, and South America.
• Characteristics:
  • Skin color: Yellow brown to red brown.
  • Hair: Straight or wavy, black.
  • Sparse body and facial hair.
  • Internal epicanthic eye fold present; external fold not always present.
  • Broad face with large cheek bones.

d) Indonesian-Malays

• Regions: South China, Burma, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Philippines, Japan.
• Characteristics:
  • Average height: Indonesian-Malays (5 feet 1 inch), Malays (5 feet 2 inches).
  • Head shape: Indonesian-Malays are long-headed; Malays are broad-headed.
  • Similar Mongoloid features, more pronounced in Malays.

Criticism of Various Classifications of Races

• Arbitrary and Crude Classification:

  • Based on visible features like skin color, head shape, nose shape, etc.
  • Ignores underlying genetic relationships and dynamics of human migration and admixture.
  • Criteria for classification considered arbitrary due to lack of genetic basis.

• Geographic Limitations:

  • Relies heavily on geographic distribution.
  • Similar traits found in geographically distant populations may not be included in the same racial group.
  • Geographic discontinuity does not always correlate with genetic or phenotypic differences.

• Overlapping Characteristics:

  • Traits used for classification often overlap between groups.
  • Difficulty in defining clear-cut boundaries for each racial trait.
  • Within-group variations can be significant, challenging the accuracy of classification.

• Lack of Genetic Basis:

  • Current classifications do not incorporate genetic data.
  • Genetic studies reveal allele frequencies and genetic traits that could better define population groups.
  • Genetic determinants of traits like blood groups are not exclusive factors in racial classification.