Question 1

How did the adoption of a settled lifestyle affect patterns of infectious disease in human populations?

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Question 2

Forensic anthropologists must deal with the race concept because they are asked by law enforcement agencies to identify an individual's race from skeletal remains.

Accepted Answer

Forensic anthropologists are often asked to determine an individual's race based on skeletal remains, which requires them to deal with the concept of race. However, it is worth noting that the concept of race in forensic anthropology is controversial, as it is a social construct rather than a biological one, and therefore cannot always be reliably determined from skeletal features alone.

Question 3

Discuss developmental acclimatization to high altitude.

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Question 4

The most interesting fact about human skin color is that there appears to be no adaptive significance whatsoever to population-level variations in skin color.

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Human skin color has adaptive significance as it is linked to the levels of melanin produced in response to UV radiation. Darker-skinned individuals have more melanin to protect against harmful UV exposure, while lighter-skinned individuals have less melanin to allow for vitamin D production in areas with less sunlight. However, the specific skin color variation between populations has no clear adaptive significance and may be more influenced by genetic drift and historical migration patterns.

Question 5

Thanks to the modern medicine, many infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera are no longer a threat to human populations.

Accepted Answer

While modern medicine has significantly reduced the impact of diseases like tuberculosis and cholera, they remain a threat, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to healthcare and sanitation can be limited.

Question 6

Developmental acclimatization occurs in high-altitude natives during growth and development.

Accepted Answer

Developmental acclimatization refers to the physiological and anatomical adaptations that occur in an organism during growth and development in response to environmental stressors. High-altitude natives experience these adaptations, such as increased lung capacity and production of red blood cells, to better cope with the low oxygen levels at high elevations.

Question 7

The term ethnicity was originally proposed in order to avoid the emotional baggage associated with the term race.

Accepted Answer

This is true. The term ethnicity was developed in the mid-20th century as a more neutral alternative to the socially and scientifically problematic concept of race.

Question 8

Define the term race. How does the modern use of race differ from the 19^th century use of race?

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Question 9

Explain the historical views on human variation.

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Question 10

What is the physiological mechanism of lactose intolerance? Why is the ability to digest milk sugars an example of biocultural evolution?

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Question 11

Define vasoconstriction and describe its role in the human physiological response to cold.

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Question 12

Explain what HIV is and the hypothesis of its origin. Describe why it is seen as the best example of evolution and adaptation in a pathogen.

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Question 13

Infectious diseases have exerted enormous selective pressures on our species.

Accepted Answer

Infectious diseases have played a significant role in human evolution by exerting selective pressure on our species. Those who were better able to resist or recover from infectious diseases were more likely to survive and pass on their genes to the next generation. This has contributed to the development of the human immune system and other adaptive mechanisms to combat infectious diseases.

Question 14

Define vasodilation and describe its role in the human physiological response to heat.

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Question 15

What is the adaptive value of dark skin tones in equatorial regions such as Africa? If all humans are ultimately from Africa, what hypotheses might explain why skin tones lightened as humans came to occupy more northern latitudes?

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Question 16

What polymorphisms exist at the DNA level?

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Question 17

The majority of modern anthropologists regard biological determinism as a valid mode of explaining human racial differences.

Accepted Answer

The majority of modern anthropologists reject biological determinism as a valid mode of explaining human racial differences. They instead ask for a consideration of the historical and social factors that shape human groups and their experiences.

Question 18

What does it mean when one states that humans are members of the same polytypic species?

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Question 19

Outline the general principles of Bergmann's and Allen's rules. Can we use these rules to explain human phenotypic variation at the level of the population?

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Question 20

Discuss the factors that are contributing to the reemergence of infectious diseases that used to be close to extinction.

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Quiz 12: Human Variation and Adaptation