Human Variation and Race

High altitude is an environmental stress to the human body. The main negative  symptom that occurs to the body when trying to adapt to the high altitude is the inability to comfortably breath.  At high altitudes, the lower air pressure makes it more difficult for oxygen to enter our vascular systems which can lead to hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs from not having a sufficient amount of oxygen in body tissue. This symptom can affect the heart, lungs, brain, reproduction, increased miscarriages, low birth rates, and infant deaths. Hypoxia is one of the more severe stresses that occurs to the body however increased solar radiation, reduced nutritional rates, humidity, cold temperatures and wind are all stresses that affect the body and its homeostasis state.

Scientists have found that there is evidence of developmental adaptation. Reproduction as been a challenge in higher altitudes because of the oxygen supply needed to support the baby while developing has been the cause of miscarriages and infant death rates. The Tibet people have lived in high alterations for as long as 25,000 years and have showed no difficulties in reproduction. Infants have birth weights the same as infants who are born in lower altitudes, and altitude is not negatively affecting the development process.

The study of the human variation can be helpful in the way that we are able to see how adaptation is occurring has occurred or possible will if there is still a struggle occurring. Just as with the people of Tibet we were able to see that they had adapted over time and were no longer affected by the high altitude. 

The study of environmental influences on adaptation is a better way to understand human variation than by the use of race because it the different adaptations that humans develop, and the different traits that groups them into categories of race. Race shows different human populations that are from different locations of the world. Understanding the environmental influences of these areas and the adaptations that occurred in these regions will help understand the differences in race are from the environmental stresses.

Piltdown Hoax

Charles Dawson was an archeologist in Southern England who was given fragments of bone by a local worker who had discovered them while digging in a gravel pit. Upon looking at the fossils Charles believed that these in fact could be early human remains. He continued to search for more remains and in 1912 he discovered a jawbone. Dawson reached out to Arthur Smith Woodward who was a part of the Natural History Museum and together they continued their search and eventually found enough fragments that they were able to piece together what was a skull of ape and human-like characteristics. It was December of 1912 that Charles Dawson announced his discovery to the world and it took only 40 years later that it was discovered to be a hoax.

Charles Dawson has been the suspect of being behind the hoax. He was an amateur archeologist whom was eager to find a discovery in England just as France, Germany, and others had already done. Not only was he eager to find a discovery but that the discovery would prove that humans evolved from primates. With the eagerness to make a discovery and prove his thought, he could have potentially been behind the whole plot of planting and altering the Piltdown bones (as no one is yet determined to be responsible).  Jealousy is another potential motive for the hoax in this incident this is his human fault. The actions of the Hoax led to science believing a false truth of human evolution and changed the beliefs and created different studies based of a false and purposely planned scheme.

It is surprising to think that this hoax fooled the world for 40years. This is possible that so much time passed by because first the remains were locked up for years and those who wanted to study the remains were given replicas. Another reason was the conformity of society’s wants to figure out the puzzle of evolution and many believed this to be true because it gave an answer. An answer was something that they were searching for prior to the finding and now that they had one it was not typically resisted. However there were some who were skeptics of the findings. It was Professor Kenneth Oakley who used a fluorine analysis that he determined that the human skull was much older than the jaw. The fluorine analysis will determine the amount of fluorine in the bones and that the bones if in the ground for the same amount of time should show no difference in fluorine amount, that there was a discrepancies with the Piltdown bones that made researcher look further into them and they were then discovered that they were different species and led to the accurate results of what the bones were.

The Piltdown hoax is an example of how human emotions can affect science. It was Dawson who reacted to his emotions versus using the appropriate steps that science needs. He wanted results so he created results. He allowed his emotions to be involved in science however “human” is always in science. In this situation is happened to be involved in a negative way, although it can be positive to allow the “human” of us to help motivate, and drive us to continue studies within science. We allow or thought, opinion, and doubts to take the steps within science. We are now more advanced in the capability of being able to back our data as well as challenge others. 

One of the biggest lessons that come from the Piltdown’s Hoax is the need for proof. Charles Dawson did not have proof and also no one openly challenged the findings. Proof can be extremely important to have because it is the only defense you can have in science. Also another lesson of this hoax would be that getting the answer you are wanting, and searching for is not always the answer that is needed.  Just the same a Dawson who wanted to find ancient human remains and was discouraged that England had yet to make any discoveries.  He was driven to create his own answer and over time it was found to be wrong and it change the views of what many believed for a long period of time.

Homologous and Analogous

1. 

1.      Dolphins and whales are two different mammals however they both have similarities to one another. One similarity that they share are flippers, flat tails, blow holes, and warm blooded. The flippers of dolphins and whales are a homologous trait. Both share a common ancestor that came from the delphinidae family and According to fossils dating back about 50 million years, whales even share a common ancestor with the land-dwelling hipopotomus (Dolphin vs. Whale). Humans as well share a common ancestor with dolphins and whales which has been dated back to the cretaceous.  The homologous trait would be the flippers and the arm of a human.

  

 

2.    

1.      Dolphins and sharks look very similar to one another by size, color, fins, both are animals of the ocean and can be mistaken as one another if they are only viewed partially. These two are analogous to one another because although they are very similar a shark is considered a fish and a dolphin is considered a mammal. 

 

"Dolphin vs Whale." - Difference and Comparison. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2015.