Human Variation & Race Post

Heat is an environmental stress that can affect the survival of humans. When the human body exceeds 105° F hyperthermia sets in, hyperthermia can lead to death if not treated quickly. High body temperatures cause our blood vessels to dilate in attempt to lose heat, once the inability to sweat occurs, humans suffering from dehydration experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, and low blood pressure. Eventually, the organs cannot maintain homeostasis and fail, resulting in death.

Humans combat hot temperatures in many different ways including:

Short term: Sweating, humans begin to cool themselves instantly using sweat for evaporation.

Facultative: After a few days of heat vasodilatation of the blood vessels occurs, bringing heat to the surface of the body to be dissipated. 

Developmental: Some populations that live in hotter climates tend to have longer limbs and slender bodies, this phenomenon is called Allen's rule, and allows body heat to escape quickly into the environment.

 Cultural: The invention of air condition has allowed many humans to inhabit areas with hotter climates.

Humans can benefit from studying human variation in response to heat by finding efficient ways to reduce risk of heat stroke. We can study the way the human body reacts to heat and build technology to aid us in combating high temperature, we can also use information to decide which locations on Earth humans would not be safe to inhabit. Areas in which we cannot battle high temperatures such as deserts during dry season are not suitable for year-round homes.

A few benefits of studying human variation in different environments, such as an extremely hot climate, would lead to inventions utilizing this information in order for humans to be able to inhabit different areas. Perhaps in the future we can genetically engineer humans to be specifically adapted to their environment to ensure our survival i.e. Allen's rule tells us that humans with slender bodies and long limbs have advantages in hotter climates. If global warming continues as it has been we will need solutions based on this research to implement them on human populations.


Race is largely irrelevant when studying the human response to heat/high temperatures. There is no specific “race” which reacts differently to heat. All humans are affected the same once core body temperatures exceed 105° F. Studying environmental influences on adaptations to heat would be more appropriate because heat is largely a geographical problem and not pertinent to any race. Those populations nearer to the equator are more likely to suffer from heatstroke, dehydration, etc. during summer months.

Studying environmental influences on adaptations is a better way to understand human variation because the environment is what actually creates physical changes on humans not the idea that we belong to different races. Humans are one of the most genetically alike species on the planet, physical variation is a result of humans adapting to their environment, meaning that there are no superior races, only slight variances that help us thrive in different climates and locations.

Language Experiment

Part 1

The first part of the assignment was a bit difficult in terms of communication. There was a lot of initial giggling and a general feeling of silliness but once that subsided, it didn’t become any easier.  Any complex or elaborate conversation was halted due to one party (me) not being able to contribute much.  Even though there was no speaking on my part, emotions were still able to be conveyed which kept the interaction going and the mood was light.

*My partner compensated by keeping the conversation one-sided, on her interests. She controlled the topics we conversed on. If she wanted my input she would ask closed-ended questions, mostly yes or no, because I could shake or nod my head and that was easiest to express.

The speaker who possesses language has the complete advantage in communicating. The speaker would probably assume that the culture that lacks language is not as intelligent or has some form of impairment that does not allow them to communicate verbally. Those who are deaf and or mute sometimes cannot communicate verbally.  Some rely on sign-language while others learn to lip-read. Those around them must compensate by using gestures or moving their lips at a slower rate. Communication with someone who is deaf/mute is most effective when facing that person so that they can read your emotions and gestures.

Part 2

I was not able to last the 15 minutes without using gestures. I would forget after a few minutes and shake my head or emote with hand gestures.  The hardest part of this experiment was un-learning years of programming to express myself physically while talking.

*My partner was not able to read my emotions well so in order to gauge my personal opinions better she asked more questions involving my feelings towards the topics. The tone of my voice came off as uninterested or even a little aggressive at times.We were able to discuss a wide range of topics and I was able to contribute to 50% of the conversation with me asking a few questions myself this time. I was able to steer the conversation onto topics that I wanted to talk about as well.

I would say that non-speech language is pretty important in communicating. It was a lot harder to communicate without automatically using gestures. It was pretty deeply ingrained as a natural response. Although, the two forms of communication are obviously linked on a profound level, gestures communicate more than just speech alone they also communicate our thoughts to the audience.  Hand gestures are done on a more subconscious level, we don’t really think about them we just do them automatically, unlike speech which is more carefully planned.

There are people that have difficulty reading body language such as the blind and also some people with autism. The adaptive benefit of being able to read body language means that you are able to see emotions. Reading body language allows us to determine when someone is being dishonest or interested, or uncomfortable. You can gauge when someone is becoming angry, sad, happy, etc. This is especially important in avoiding physical or verbal fights or determining when it is appropriate to approach someone.  Gestures are also important in forming close bonds and friendships; close physical contact indicates a strong bond between two or more people.

The only instance in where not being able to read someone’s body language might be beneficial is perhaps if other people’s opinions held you back from doing something.  You would be able to focus more on yourself without having to worry about making people uncomfortable and you wouldn’t feel fear of being socially ridiculed.

Missing Link Misnomer

Video link

The above link is a YouTube video which explains why the term "missing link" should not be used. The video features a professor of anthropology explaining the commonly held idea of humans evolving from chimpanzees and why it is incorrect. Humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that was neither human nor chimpanzee.

The professor explains  why no one fossil can be called "the missing link" since there are many fossils that show a gradual evolution from ancient non-human primates to hominids. Chimpanzees and humans are "cousins" that share a common ancestor, both have evolved into different species with similar traits, chimpanzees are not, however, our parents or even our ancestors. The ancestors to all modern apes no longer exist but fossils show direct evidence of traits that all modern apes (including humans) share.

The term "missing link" is not a scientific term because it confuses the audience into thinking that there is one fossil that is "in-between" human and chimp and that evolution of hominids is a straight-line with no other branches (that are now extinct).

Piltdown Hoax

   The Piltdown Man hoax was an elaborate plan to dupe the scientific community into believing that ancient human remains had been discovered in Piltdown, England. The hoax was perpetrated in 1912 by a collector named Charles Dawson. Dawson claimed to have found a skull fragment in a gravel pit; he called on Arthur Smith Woodward, geologist of the British Natural History Museum, to accompany him at the site for further excavation.  They “discovered” skull fragments and a jaw bone. The skull was remarkable in that it appeared to point to a missing link of human evolution. The skull was similar to that of a modern human’s however; the jaw was completely ape-like with flat human teeth.

    The skull was hailed one of the greatest scientific discoveries. Dawson and Woodward were celebrated for their finds as they continued to find more fossils in Piltdown.  An anatomist named Arthur Keefe supported the findings due to the support it led to his theories on early brain development vs. upright walking. Before the hoax, England had not been considered a contender for early hominids thus there was an air of envy surrounding the discovery of ancient humans in other European countries. Those scientific minds who suspected fraud were reluctant to question the validity of the remains and scientific community continued to use Piltdown man as the basis for human evolution in future studies. Years later, remains found in Asia and Africa cast a large doubt on the authenticity of the Piltdown remains due to distinct differences between the specimens which suggested that human evolution began with bipedalism not increased brain size.

            The hoax was discovered in 1949 once scientists used a fluorine test to date the fossils. They were found to be a lot more recent than previously thought by several hundred thousand years.  In 1953 a full scale investigation led to the discovery of the forgery. The skull fragments were found to be stained in an effort to make the specimen appear older and the jaw was found to belong to an orangutan, while the teeth were that of a chimpanzee’s. An examination under a microscope revealed file-marks on the teeth pointing to an obvious attempt at deceit.

   Scientists are not immune to group-think and peer pressure. The scientific community was reluctant to challenge the findings due to the prestige of Woodward and Keefe. They were seen as scientific authorities thus the aversion by many to confront or contest their findings. At the time there was also the notion that scientists were considered to be scholars and gentlemen who valued truth not sensationalism which led to misplaced trust on Woodward and Dawson. By allowing the findings to be published uncontested the scientific process suffered as the theory of human evolution had conflicting findings which puzzled scientists.
    The nature of the scientific process encourages constant verification, sometime even years after the fact. This led scientists to revisit the original findings and investigate once new methods of analysis were invented. Measuring fluorine content in fossils allowed scientists to date the Piltdown remains, revealing the inconsistencies. Modern microscopes also allowed for a closer look at the remains which solidified the falsification of Piltdown Man.

    I don’t believe it to be possible to remove the human factor from science. All data is gathered by humans, even computers need the input of humans to calculate information.  Although humans make mistakes humans also have the unique ability to think abstractly and use the power of deduction which makes for different hypothesis and perspectives which is greatly needed in the scientific process. Peer review is perhaps the most important factor in the scientific process and also requires human examination.  
   It is important not to draw conclusions from unverified sources and to do your own research if possible. Also, once new information comes to light we should review previous held beliefs and theories and constantly test them. The search for truth is much more important than whatever social mores are prevalent as it is the only way humans as a species can advance.