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Human variability, or human variation, is the range of possible values for any characteristic, physical or mental, of human beings. Frequently debated areas of variability include cognitive ability , personality , physical appearance ( body shape , skin color , etc.) and immunology .
The study of human genetic variation has evolutionary significance and medical applications. It can help scientists reconstruct and understand patterns of past human migration. In medicine, study of human genetic variation may be important because some disease-causing alleles occur more often in certain population groups.
Adaptations in humans can be physiological, genetic, or cultural, which allow people to live in a wide variety of climates. There has been a great deal of research done on developmental adjustment, acclimatization , and cultural practices, but less research on genetic adaptations to colder and hotter temperatures.
Contemporary biocultural anthropologists view culture as having several key roles in human biological variation: Culture is a major human adaptation, permitting individuals and populations to adapt to widely varying local ecologies. Characteristic human biological or biobehavioral features, such as a large frontal cortex and intensive parenting ...
Genetic variation can be identified at many levels. Identifying genetic variation is possible from observations of phenotypic variation in either quantitative traits (traits that vary continuously and are coded for by many genes, e.g., leg length in dogs) or discrete traits (traits that fall into discrete categories and are coded for by one or a few genes, e.g., white, pink, or red petal color ...
Genetic variation was thus increased and resulted in a significant increase in population growth of the Florida Panther. [39] Creating or maintaining high genetic diversity is an important consideration in species rescue efforts, in order to ensure the longevity of a population.
The HERC2 variation for blue eyes first appears around 14,000 years ago in Italy and the Caucasus. [65] Larger average cranial capacity is correlated with living in cold regions. Inuit adaptation to high-fat diet and cold climate has been traced to a mutation dated the Last Glacial Maximum (20,000 years ago). [66]
Adaptation affects all aspects of the life of an organism. [24] The following definitions are given by the evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky: 1. Adaptation is the evolutionary process whereby an organism becomes better able to live in its habitat or habitats. [25] [26] [27] 2.