How human variation has influenced their adaptation to survive in the past and present world
Variability is inherent in all living species, and it is enhanced by environmental and biological procedures. It plays a significant role in certifying the strength of species as well as their capacity to acclimatize to the dynamic environment as well as their continued existence. They are inseparable concepts because adaption takes place upon modification of traits. Jurmain et al., (2017) defines human variation as the factual existence of probable values for the particular physical and mental features in humans. Adaptation, on the other hand, is practices employed by organisms to survive environmental pressures. Humans exercise adaptive processes between biology and culture in order to gratify their wants (Chagnon, 2017). Trying to understand the concept of human variation and adaptation, this essay explores how human variability impacts their adaptation to survive in the past and present world.
Variations in human occur in clusters of frequency. The manner, in which people interpret and make use of them for ecological survival, is largely defined by cultures. Chagnon (2017) pronounces that it is a symbol of the great potential of amalgamated features in the coming generations. Culture has been the core driver of how variations facilitating adaptation as well as how the categories based on traits are developed. Scientific understanding of variation is a modern concept where genes are used to explain the diversity in individuals. In as much as science contributes to understanding human variation, culture cannot be overlooked as it stands as a powerful tool in creating them (Stanford, Allen & Antón, 2011). Human variation influences adaption to socio-economic practices used to acquire resources for survival. For instance, during the Paleolithic era or Stone Age fishing, hunting, and gathering were the primary means of sourcing for food. Over time there was an increase in population leading to competition and conflict that led to the division in small groups. The groups settled permanently in different geographical areas and used agriculture and industrialization for resource acquisition to date. Using biological traits, humans define leadership structures in their social categories. Culture employs physical traits to define gender roles; hence the groups in the past and present societies were led by males. It is believed they are strong because of their large bones and wide chests enhancing ability to fight the enemy compared to the females.
The extent to which species vary is diverse, with humans reported having the greatest based on their brains that have been highly developed. In trying to exercise adaptation, people have worked along four kinds namely; cultural, immediate physiological, genetic, and developmental or long-term physiological adaptations. An area in which humans have used adaptive types to enhance their survival is the dynamic weather conditions. Culture and physiological adaptations have been employed to respond to harsh weather conditions since it is immediately constructed and learned (Stanford, Allen & Antón, 2011). For example, the Eskimos in Australia have short, stocky bodies to enhance reduction on the surface area contrast to the body mass allowing retention of heat. On the other hand, people in hot regions have thin, long limbs and a large skin surface to body mass allowing easy loss of heat. Culturally, early humans survived climatic shifts by use of tents or caves unlike the quality homes of the modern people. The caves played the role of securing them from wild animals and harsh climatic conditions. Also, early humans did not have weather fashioned clothes like jackets, but animal skins and large leave used to keep them warm or cold (Jurmain et al., 2017).
Human variation has been an essential element in facilitating adaptation to dietary alterations. As a result of shifts in ecology and habitats together with cultural revolution, human evolution has encountered chief dietary changes such as cooking, plant and animal domestication, and eating meat. The diversity in the shapes of molecular cusps and microscopic patterns on the tooth surface define the tenets of the foods taken as Hominins evolved. For instance, the Hominin Ardipithecus ramidus has been mentioned to have lived in the woodlands based on its bipedality. The isotope ratios of this Hominin is said to be between the Chimpanzee and present Homo, signifying a generally, mixed diet contrary to depending on a specific food component like tough vegetation or fruits. In the modern world, the situation has changed as a result of advancement in technology. Instead of feeding on raw foods like Ar. ramidus, Homo sapiens use diverse methods of cooking and manufacturing strategies to prepare their food. Investigations show that foods consumed by people presently differ from plant-based diets anthropoids used in the early stages of human evolution (Chagnon, 2017). It is because of such variations that humans experience numerous health issues justifying historical evolution of primates regarding diets.
Humans also use biological adaptation to survive over generations in circumstances where ecological stress is consistent. Grounded on Darwinians theory of natural selection, people with inherent genes with an advantage adapting to environmental pressure are likely to survive and transfer the traits to the next generation. A good example is people in Central Africa who inherited sickle-cell traits, Heterozygous carriers, altering their level of immunity to survive in the endemic malaria-prone region. The indirect selection of the traits enhanced by dilated red blood cells that inhibit the stay of malarial microorganisms. Following the beliefs of natural selection, Heterozygous carriers will be the ones chosen by nature to survive long and impact on the gene frequencies of the next group (Stanford, Allen & Antón, 2011). It is on a similar basis that the Human evolved and those with strong genes to survive ecological pressure transferred the genes to the next generation. Biological adaptation for continuity of generations is also guided by choice of the right partner in order to have strong traits for continuity. Humans have their cultures defining the selection of marital partners. Marriage within families is prohibited and considered a taboo for it enhances the spread of weak genes not likely to survive natural selection (Chagnon, 2017).
Humans vary in numerous ways even though they are of similar polytypic species, Homo sapiens. According to Jurmain et al., (2017) polytypic species entail local populace distinct in appearance of traits. The variations in humans are derived from genotypic and phenotypic distinction among themselves. Traditionally, humans have been classified based on these traits like hair form, facial and nasal shape, and hair and skin color. On these categories referred to as race that humans have been grouped geographically. Anthropologists (Chagnon, 2017; Stanford, Allen & Antón, 2011) show that the categories are enhanced by ecology to enable the populations to survive the pressured produced by the geographical areas. It is as a result of high altitude that in Nepal that the Sherpas have large lungs to accommodate more air compared to those at the sea level (Jurmain et al., 2017). It is unfortunate that some races have taken advantage of the variation and use traits of skin color to discriminate others, denying them their rights and manipulating their resources for their survival in their locations. Like the white colored people exercise survival for the fittest philosophy exploiting resources from the black skin communities to the point of exposing them to dangers of extinction.
Conclusively, human variation and adaptation are two sides of the coin that cannot be separated. Adaptation of people is largely dependent on the varied traits used to survive environmental pressures. In order to meet Darwinian's perspective of natural selection for continuity of generation, people work with the four kinds of adaptive processes to manage weather conditions, resource formation, continuity of generations and many more. Generally, the entire process of human evolution is grounded on their ability to acclimatize with their surroundings to make a living. Hence the understanding behind persistence on evolving patterns of the Homo sapiens from the Stone Age period to modern time. In this continuously dynamic world, human variation and adaptation will remain major factors for analysis on human survival.
References
Chagnon, N. (2017). Adaptation and human behavior: an anthropological perspective. Routledge.
Jurmain, R., Kilgore, L., Trevathan, W., Bartelink, E., & Ciochon, R. L. (2017). Introduction to physical anthropology. Nelson Education.
Stanford, C., Allen, J. S., & Antón, S. C. (2011). Biological anthropology: the natural history of humankind. Pearson Education.
