Paper details 

The best responses will use examples (data) to support their answers. Try to avoid describing things in general and vague ways. Essays will be graded on: 1) Did you fully and accurately answer the question? 2) Did you use data/specific examples to support your answer? And, 3) is your answer of sufficient length for you to fully develop your ideas and to indicate you prepared it prior to the exam. Remember these are essay questions, not short answer questions. The best essays will also include terms from the text and/or lecture in a way that indicates you understand their meaning.
You may only use material presented in lectures, assigned readings, or videos. Use of other sources, or cutting and pasting text directly out of the PowerPoint or Palomar tutorials and inserting it as your answer, or embedded links to internet sources in your essays, will result in a score of zero.

1. Based on the voice-over lecture “The Nature of Human Biological Variation,” your reading of chapter 12, and the video of the lecture by Dr. Joe Lorenz, answer the following — Why do most anthropologists feel that “human races” make little sense as biology but need to be understood as an aspect of culture? Be certain do discuss exactly what you mean by the word “race” and include a discussion of the following concepts in your essay: clinal, non-concordance, polymorphic and polytypic variation, and the low genetic diversity of Homo sapiens as well as additional pertinent material. Remember, the term polymorphisms as used in your textbook does not mean the same thing as polymorphic variation as used in lecture. That is a common mistake made by students when answering this question.

2. Discuss the adaptive significance of human variation with regards to skin color, responses to the thermal environment, and high altitude. Be sure to discuss the geographic patterning of these adaptations and their significance with regards to natural selection. For example why do dark-skinned people have a survival advantage in the tropics? Also be sure to include a discussion of the pertinent anatomical and physiological details of these adaptations.

3. What is “human biocultural evolution.” Explain this concept using two examples from the readings.

4. Several times in chapter 13 the authors discuss a “mismatch” between our evolved biology and our contemporary lifestyles. They suggest this mismatch has negative consequences for our health. Do you agree that many of our health problems result from this mismatch or do you think our health is generally better than our ancestors? Be sure to provide examples from the reading and be clear about what is meant by “mismatch”.

5. Are humans still evolving? If we are still evolving explain why and how? Do you think the large amount of time we spend using computers, cell phones, and other recent technologies affect our health or the future course of human evolution?

6. What is meant in Chapter 14 by the “Human Disconnection?” What adverse effects are we having on our planet and why? Be specific about the causes and effects. What solutions do you propose and how would they be implemented?