Question 1

The key index traits popularly used to sort people into 'racial' categories are:

Accepted Answer

The key index traits used to sort people into "racial" categories are visually identifiable or superficial traits such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features. These traits are more apparent and easily distinguishable than biochemical or below the neck traits.

Question 2

So-called 'racial markers' like skin color evolved ________ complex traits like intellectual ability.

Accepted Answer

Racial markers such as skin color evolved due to adaptations to different environmental conditions and are superficial traits that appeared long before the evolution of complex traits like intellectual ability, which are not tied to race but to the development of the human species as a whole.

Question 3

Most of the adaptive variations associated with 'race':

Accepted Answer

Most of the adaptive variations associated with 'race' evolved independently as geographically specific environmental adaptations. This means that populations in different geographic regions developed different adaptations based on the specific environmental conditions in their area.

Question 4

The 'single origin' theory of humankind's invasion of the world:

Accepted Answer

The 'single origin' theory of human invasion of the world posits that all humans are descendants of a shared common ancestor in Africa. This theory is also known as the Out of Africa theory or the Replacement hypothesis.

Question 5

Which of the following best characterizes Homo sapiens' global spread?

Accepted Answer

The most widely accepted theory is that Homo sapiens left Africa in multiple waves, with the first wave occurring about 70,000 years ago. These humans were capable of walking upright, making bipedalism a prerequisite for migration. It is also believed that these migrations occurred as a result of a changing climate, with colder temperatures pushing humans into new regions in search of resources. This theory is supported by genetic evidence that shows modern populations outside of Africa are descended from a small subset of the African population that left in these multiple waves.

Question 6

The majority of scientists agree that ____ percent of humans today have African ancestry if you look far back enough in time.

Accepted Answer

The majority of scientists agree that 100% of humans today have African ancestry if you look far back enough in time, as modern humans are believed to have originated in Africa before migrating to other parts of the world.

Question 7

Given the list below, which group has the best chance of being confirmed as a real biological race or subspecies of Homo sapiens?

Accepted Answer

Neanderthals are the only group listed that represents a distinct subspecies of Homo sapiens, known scientifically as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. The other groups (A-D) are social or cultural constructs rather than biological subspecies.

Question 8

Prior to the very late 1700s in Europe, and so according to Linnaeus's scheme, differences between what later became seen as 'races' were:

Accepted Answer

Prior to the very late 1700s in Europe, differences between what later became seen as 'races' were fit into pre-existing conceptual models of personality or character (temperament), mapped onto the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west), and linked with the four most basic colors recognized (red, white, black, and yellow). However, they were not ranked hierarchically until later racial theories emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Question 9

Linnaeus's original racial taxonomy reflected:

Accepted Answer

Linnaeus's original racial taxonomy was influenced by the four-fold thinking common in his time, categorizing humans into four distinct groups based on geographic and physical characteristics.

Question 10

Although sorting people into 'races' by temperament rather than visible bodily traits may seem strange, it is not uncommon cross culturally. In our text, the example provided to illustrate this involved:

Accepted Answer

CDSorting people by temperament rather than visible bodily traits is illustrated through the Lakota word for white people, which carries a connotation related to behavior and values rather than physical appearance. Similarly, surfers and Australians classify people based on behavior or lifestyle choices (like what they wear on their feet), rather than on physical racial characteristics.

Question 11

When did Europeans begin ranking human 'races' hierarchically?

Accepted Answer

Europeans began ranking human 'races' hierarchically during the age of conquest and colonization, as they sought to justify their subjugation and exploitation of non-European peoples. This was done in part through the development of racist ideologies and the pseudoscientific concept of racial hierarchy.

Question 12

Overall, there is more genetic difference between _______ than there is _______.

Accepted Answer

Genetic variations within a race tend to be smaller compared to the genetic variations between different races. This is because most genetic differences are a result of differences in ancestry and evolutionary history, which are often specific to different populations or groups of people. Therefore, members of the same race are likely to share more genetic similarities compared to members of different races.

Question 13

Which of the following is true in regard to 'race'-related genetic variation?

Accepted Answer

The average difference between races is much smaller than the average difference between individuals who belong to a given racial category.

Question 14

Which of the following is true in regard to the kind of phenotypic variation popularly associated with 'race'?

Accepted Answer

There is a wide range of within-race variation in traits such as skin color, eye shape, hair texture, and height. While certain physical traits may be more common in certain geographic regions, there is no clear-cut division between different "races" based on phenotype. Additionally, there is significant overlap in the distribution of traits among different populations, further undermining the idea of fixed racial categories.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of 'nonconcordance'?

Accepted Answer

Nonconcordance refers to the lack of association between traits that are often assumed to be related. Option A, D, and E are not correct because they refer to traits that are associated with a particular race or ancestry, whereas nonconcordance is about the lack of association between certain traits. Option C is also incorrect because it suggests that certain traits are always found together in members of a particular race, which goes against the concept of nonconcordance. Option B is the best choice because it describes the lack of predictability in the association between certain traits and race.

Question 16

Which of the following traits is not 'concordant' with the other traits listed?

Accepted Answer

All of the traits listed can be inherited and are observable characteristics of an individual. However, the term "concordant" typically refers to traits that are co-inherited because they are physically located near each other on the same chromosome. Hair texture, skin color, nose shape, and fingerprint pattern are all considered concordant traits because they are influenced by multiple genes located in the same region of the genome. Therefore, the trait that is not concordant with the others is E, which suggests that all traits on this list are independent and do not co-occur with regularity.

Question 17

If the human species was in fact divisible into biological races, then we would be able to predict a person's hair texture with 100% accuracy from knowledge of his or her:

Accepted Answer

The concept of biological races implies that there are distinct, genetically isolated populations within a species, where specific physical traits are consistently and exclusively associated with each race. If humans were divisible into such biological races, then knowing one physical trait (like skin color, nose shape, lip shape, or eye shape) would allow for the prediction of other traits (including hair texture) with essentially 100% accuracy, as these traits would all be interlinked and characteristic of a specific race. However, it's important to note that the current scientific consensus is that human genetic variation does not support the division of humanity into distinct biological races in this way.

Question 18

In most US healthcare settings today, the clinical belief in 'race':

Accepted Answer

The clinical belief in 'race' can lead to assumptions about an individual's health based on their perceived race, leading to clinical mistakes such as not testing for a problem that is thought only to occur among members of another 'race.'

Answer: E 
 In some healthcare settings, there has been a shift away from using the concept of race and towards asking patients about their specific geographic ancestry, which can provide more precise information about their health risks and needs. However, this shift is not yet widespread and the belief in 'race' still persists in many healthcare settings.

Question 19

The way 'race' is used in healthcare today can lead clinicians to forget that sickle cell anemia is a disease of:

Accepted Answer

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder that originated in areas where malaria is endemic, such as sub-Saharan Africa, parts of the Middle East, and India. It affects people of all races and ethnicities who have ancestry from these regions. Associating sickle cell anemia exclusively with a particular race, such as Black, can lead to inaccurate assumptions and inadequate treatment.

Question 20

The 'race' assigned to a person's skeletal remains by a forensic scientist:

Accepted Answer

A forensic scientist's race assignment is based on skeletal measurements and analysis, which can differ from the race that would have been visually assigned prior to death. It is not necessarily key to understanding the person's life experience, nor is it based on guesswork. It also may not conform to the dead person's racial self-identity.

Quiz 5: Global Expansion, Human Variation, and the Invention of Race