ANTH-2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Walter Bodmer, Carl Linnaeus, Polynesians
5 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
Phenotype (observable and detectable): an organism"s evident traits, its manifest anatomy and physiology. Visible: skin color, hair form, eye color, facial features. Allele: biologically different forms of a given gene. Because of the recombination of alleles (dominant or recessive), an organism"s genotype doesn"t always correlate with its phenotype. Natural selection: the process by which nature chooses the forms most fit to survive and reproduce. Adaptation: the processes by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stress. Examples of human adaptation: facial features and body build. Thomson"s nose rule-- average nose length increases in cold or arid areas. Bergmann"s rule (body weight): larger bodies are found in colder areas and smaller ones in warmer areas. Allen"s rule (body shape): protruding body parts (ears, limbs, fingers) are bigger in warmer areas. Tibetans- more breaths per minute; enlarged blood vessels. Melanin-- a chemical substance manufactured in the epidermis (outer skin layer), which offers protection against ultraviolet radiation.
