Human Variation and Race

The environmental stress of heat affects humans by causing a body to sweat in an attempt to cause homeostasis.  When that is not enough, heat can also cause rashes, headaches, cramping, heat stroke, and even death.  This occurs because the body is unable to displace or level out the level of heat the body has taken in, usually from ambient conditions.  

Short-term adaptation – when the ambient temperature rises to a level that causes the body temperature to rise above a level that the body can maintain homeostasis, sweat output is increased.  This is done as a short term adaptation to respond to higher level of core heat.  This is often times seen in athletes during sporting events in addition to simply happening on very hot days.  The level of sweat output can vary based on the humidity in the air.  The higher the level of humidity the less effective sweating is as a short-term adaptation.  Evaporative cooling, or sweating, is only effective in relatively dryer climates.  When the humidity is higher sweat is unable to evaporate, therefore making it more difficult to continue sweating.  This reaction to higher humidity is called hidromeiosis.      

       

Facultative adaptation – when the body is unable to cool using short-term adaptation, such as sweating, then we will often times see flushing or reddening of the skin.  This is due to vasodilation of the peripheral blood vessels.  Vasodilation occurs when the blood vessels widen causing an increase in blood flow close to the surface of the skin.  The increase flow of blood pulls heat from the core of the body and displaces it near the surface allowing for cooling.  The heat is transferred via circulation throughout the body.

Developmental adaptation – as it pertains to environmental stress of heat, an example of developmental adaptation is best explained describing one way simple radiation is accounted for when it comes to cooling the human body.  One way of explaining this is to use Allen’s Rule.  Simple radiation is when heat is dispersed throughout the surrounding environment.  Essentially, two bodies of the same mass, but made up of different shapes, can have different cooling and heating features.  A human being that has a lesser amount of surface area has less area for heat to dissipate off of.  You would probably see someone of similar shape and size in a colder climate because it's easier for the body to hold in heat.  A person of the, let’s say same weight, but that is very tall has, more surface area throughout the trunk, legs, and arms of the body for heat to dissipate off of.  You might see someone of similar shape and size in warmer climates such as the likes of east Africa. 

Korean designed "sushi roll home"

Cultural adaptation - as it pertains to environmental stress of heat, Cultural adaptation seems to be the simplest of all to understand.  As human beings we can adapt to heat by changing how we live.  For example if a person is accustomed to cooler temperatures then they might choose to find a job that provides evening hours.  Other examples of cultural changes would be to change how one dresses or how they wear their hair.  One might also change which portion of an area they live or they might change their living arrangements to compensate for the heat.  Some might take the time to specially design a home that compensates for heat, cold, humidity, winds, etc...

Studying human variations like these can be beneficial in several ways.  From a commerce point of view, knowing the demographics of an area will most certainly help in the marketing of whatever product one might be producing.  This is especially true of clothing.  Another benefit would be when attempting to provide the ability for people to grow food in certain areas.  An example of this would be the designing of crops to grow in areas where famined or impoverished people have migrated to.  

In its most simplest form race could be used when looking at why certain people might be more susceptible to death in extreme climate conditions.  An example of such conditions would be heat waves that hit certain areas in waves.  In the United States over 4000 people die each year from heat stroke.  If understanding different variations of adaptations among different races can decrease that number the United States would be better off for it.  

Piltdown Hoax-WOW

Piltdown Hoax – In 1912, at an archaeological site in England, an ape’s jaw with a canine tooth worn down like a humans was found.  It supposedly had a human cranium and an apes jaw.  In 1953 more modern techniques uncovered the fact that the claim of the Piltdown Man was a fraud.  In a scientific timeline the skull was considered modern and the teeth on the ape’s jaw had been manually filed down.  Charles Dawson found most of the skill fragments, but he worked with Arthur Smith Woodward and Tielhard de Chardin to make the initial discovery.  When Piltdown Man was found there was some skepticism but the hoax was successfully pulled off with scientists because of nationalism and cultural prejudice.  British scientists wanted to believe that ancient fossils were in fact found in Britain.  The hoax itself was uncovered in 1953 when scientists did tests using, at the time, modern techniques to test the dates of the fossils.  They found the human skull was that of a human from the medieval age and the lower jaw was from an orangutan less than 500 years old.  Microscopic examination revealed that the jaw had been modified and the teeth had been filed down to resemble those of a human. 

Even though many laymen might view scientists as objective and academic, they are still red blooded men and women.  Vanity, narcissism, pride, ego, cultural prejudice, and nationalism all play a part in how men and women act when they are in a high profile or prestigious position.  Charles Dawson and the British Museum would not invite the checks and balances in the scientific community to take place.  Nobody was allowed to examine the evidence as it was presented.  Other scientists were only allowed quick looks at the original or long looks at replicas made of plaster.  Dawson and the British wanted Piltdown Man to be real.  Scientists had already found fossils of primitive humans in France, Germany, and Asia.  The scientific community was dealing with a biased created by, as stated in the Discovery Channel video, jealousy.  The bias and narcissism involved created a generational problem for the scientific community.  Scientists were going down the wrong path and consequently educators were leading the young in the same direction.  It wasn’t until these issues were challenged with an outcome of certainty that scientists became aware that there are people within the scientific community that falsify information for their own benefit. 

As time moved forward many scientists still did not question the findings of Dawson as it pertained to the Piltdown Man.  Some scientists however continued to question the findings involved.  Once the museum allowed the fossils to be examined scientists were able to test the hypothesis set forward by those involved with the original Piltdown findings.  This was done using a new dating technique called flouring absorption tests.  It was at this time the fossils were considered relatively modern.  The molars that were found at Piltdown were micro-examined.   It was found that scratches consistent with man-made abrasives were evident on the molars suggesting they were filed down to look like they were similar to human teeth. 

It will never be possible to totally remove the “human” factor from science.  Human curiosity is what drives science and the desire to know more about more.  Whereas the human factor can sometimes be responsible for the misdirection of findings, teachings, and experimentation, it is also that same human drive for more that drives humans to want to keep going.  The drive to want to be the best or the first in a specific field is what drives human beings to find cures for illnesses they don’t have.  It drives humans to want to help man visit a moon they could never themselves touch.  It is these same factors that encourage greatness and everything that goes with it.  These factors should not be removed but they should be monitored.  The inquisitiveness that helps science move forward should also be employed to keep it moving accurately in the right direction.  The right direction should not be decided by a single person or group.  It should only be driven by facts that have been questioned and tested. 

If nothing else I think we can take away a lesson of humility from the Piltdown Hoax.  A group of human beings, fallible and flawed, presented information as fact to the larger group of people (the scientific community).  No matter how much we want to believe or support any group or any person we should always use logic and our inherent desire to know more to help us derive proper information and opinions.  We should also welcome those questions and tests to help keep us on the proper path in any situation.  

Analogy/Homology

1.      Homologus Traits:  Echidna and platypuses are both mammals that are able to lay eggs.

a.       Echidnas are monotremes mammals that lay eggs.  They are covered with coarse hair and spines.  Their mouth and nose is elongated and slender.  Echidnas have short strong limbs with large claws.  Like an anteater, they feed by tearing open soft logs and use a sticky tongue to collect their prey.  

The platypus is a wooly, furry coat mammal that is a species of monotremes.  They have a bill and webbed feet like a duck, a tail like a beaver, and their body and fur is like that of an otter.  Platypuses hunt underwater, where they use their webbed feet and tail to swim.  They have folds of skin that cover their eyes and ears to prevent water from entering.

b.      Monotremes are mammals that that lay eggs like reptiles and birds. Echidnas lay a single soft shelled leathery egg.  It deposits directly into her pouch.  The egg hatches after 10 days.  The platypus lays one to three eggs.  The eggs are small and leathery.  The mother keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail.  They hatch in about ten days.  These differences are minor yet very specific because of the amount and the placement of the eggs.

The platypus has both ovaries but only the left ovary is functional.  The echidna has two functional ovaries.

c.       The common ancestor of these two species is the Steropodon.  They lived alongside dinosaurs and early mammals.  They were a small mammal with short limbs and would have been an egg-layer.  Due to the fossils found the scientists have theorized that the Steropodons were mammals that laid eggs. 

  

2.      Analogous Traits: A duck (bird) and a platypus (mammal) both lay eggs.

a.       A duck is a bird that lays eggs.  Ducks usually have elongated and b road bodies.  They have bills which contain serrated lamellae.  Ducks have scaled legs and web feet.  They also have very strong wings. 

b.      Ducks and platypuses both lay eggs.  Their cloaca is the exit for the urinary, reproductive, and excretory systems. 

c.       There is no known common ancestor between the platypus and the duck.  However, both of their ancestors have the trait of laying eggs. 

  

DISCLAIMER:
Not sure why the second paragraph posted the way it did.  Everything else pasted properly.  Hmmmmm  inquiring minds wanna know!

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