I have questions, why are there only 4 races on Earth? Why are they so different from each other? How do different races have skin colors that match their area of ​​residence?

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First of all, we will examine the map of the settlement of the "Modern races of the world." In this analysis, we will not deliberately accept the position of either monogenism or polygenism. The purpose of our analysis and the entire study as a whole is precisely to understand exactly how the emergence of mankind and its development, including the development of writing, took place. Therefore, we cannot and will not rely in advance on any dogma, be it scientific or religious.

Why are there four different races on Earth? Naturally, four types of different races could not come from Adam and Eve....

So, under the letter "A" on the map are the races that, according to the data contemporary research, are ancient. These races include four:
Equatorial Negroid races (hereinafter "Negroid race" or "Negroids");
Equatorial Australoid races (hereinafter "Australoid race" or "Australoids");
Caucasoid races (hereinafter referred to as "Caucasoids");
Mongoloid races (hereinafter "Mongoloids").

2. Analysis of the modern mutual settlement of races.

Extremely interesting is the modern mutual settlement of the four main races.

Negroid races are settled exclusively in a limited area, located from the center of Africa to its southern part. Nowhere outside of Africa negroid race no. In addition, it is precisely the areas of settlement of the Negroid race that are currently the "suppliers" of the culture of the Stone Age - in South Africa there are still such areas within which the population still exists in a primitive communal way of life.

We are talking about the archaeological culture of Wilton (Wilton, Wilton) of the late Stone Age, common in the South and East Africa. In some areas, it was replaced by the Neolithic with polished axes, but in most areas it existed until modern times: arrowheads made of stone and bone, pottery, beads made from ostrich egg shells; people of the Wilton culture lived in grottoes and on outdoors, engaged in hunting; agriculture and domestic animals were absent.

It is also interesting that on other continents there are no centers of settlement of the Negroid race. This, of course, indicates the fact that the origin of the Negroid race was originally in that part of Africa, which is located south of the center of the continent. It is worth noting that here we do not consider the later “migrations” of the Negroids to the American continent and their modern entry through the regions of France into the territory of Eurasia, since this is completely insignificant in time in the long run. historical process effect.

The Australoid races are settled exclusively in a limited area, which is located integrally in the north of Australia, as well as in extremely small fluctuations in the territory of India and on some isolated islands. The islands are so insignificantly populated by the Australoid race that they can be neglected when estimating the entire center of distribution of the Australoid race. This focus, quite reasonably, can be considered the northern part of Australia. It should be noted here that the Australoids, as well as the Negroids, for reasons unknown to today's science, are located exclusively within the same common range. Stone Age cultures are also found among the Australoid race. More precisely, those Australoid cultures that have not experienced the impact of Caucasoids are mainly in the Stone Age.

Caucasoid races are settled in the territory located in the European part of Eurasia, including the Kola Peninsula, as well as in Siberia, in the Urals, along the Yenisei, along the Amur, in the upper reaches of the Lena, in Asia, around the Caspian, Black, Red and mediterranean seas, in northern Africa, on the Arabian Peninsula, in India, on the two American continents, in southern Australia.

In this part of the analysis, we should dwell on the consideration of the area of ​​​​settlement of Caucasians in more detail.

First, for obvious reasons, we will exclude from historical estimates the territory of distribution of Caucasians in both Americas, since these territories were occupied by them in the not so distant historical time. The last “experience” of Caucasians does not affect the very history of the original settlement of peoples. The history of the settlement of mankind in general took place long before the American conquests of the Caucasians and without taking them into account.

Secondly, like the two previous races in terms of the description, the territory of distribution of Caucasoids (from this point onwards, under the “territory of distribution of Caucasoids” we will understand only its Eurasian part and northern Africa) is also clearly marked by the area of ​​their settlement. However, unlike the Negroid and Australoid races, the Caucasoid race has reached the highest flowering of culture, science, art, etc. among the existing races. Stone Age within the habitat of the Caucasoid race was in the vast majority of areas passed 30 - 40 thousand years BC. All modern scientific achievements of the most advanced nature were committed precisely by the Caucasoid race. You can, of course, mention and argue with this statement, referring to the achievements of China, Japan and Korea, but let's be honest, all their achievements are purely secondary and they use, we must pay tribute - with success, but still use the primary achievements of Caucasians.

The Mongoloid races are settled exclusively in a limited area, located integrally in the northeast and east of Eurasia and on both American continents. Among Mongoloid race as well as among the Negroid and Australoid races, to this day there are cultures of the Stone Age.
3. On the application of the laws of Organisms

The first thing that catches the eye of an inquisitive researcher looking at a map of the settlement of races is that the areas of settlement of races do not mutually intersect so that this concerns any noticeable territories. And, although on mutual borders the adjoining races give the product of their intersection, called "transitional races", the formation of such mixtures is classified according to time and is purely secondary and much later than the formation of the ancient races themselves.

To a large extent, this process of interpenetration of ancient races resembles diffusion in the physics of materials. We apply to the description of races and peoples the laws of Organisms, which are more unified and give us the right and opportunity to operate with equal ease and accuracy, both with materials and with peoples and races. Therefore, the mutual penetration of peoples - the diffusion of peoples and races - is completely subject to the law 3.8. (numbering of laws, as is customary in) Organisms, which says: "Everything moves."

Namely, not a single race (now we will not discuss the originality of one or the other) under any circumstances will remain without movement in any “frozen” state. We will not be able, following this law, to find at least one race or people that would arise in a certain territory at the moment of “minus infinity” and would remain within this territory until “plus infinity”.

And from this it follows that it is possible to work out the laws of motion of populations of organisms (nations).
4. Laws of motion of a population of organisms
Any nation, any race, as, indeed, not only real, but also mythical (disappeared civilizations), always has a point of its origin, different from the one considered and as earlier;
Any people, any race are not represented absolute values its population and some range, but a system (matrix) of n-dimensional vectors describing:
directions of settlement on the Earth's surface (two dimensions);
time intervals of such resettlement (one dimension);
…n. the values ​​of the mass transfer of information about the people (one complex dimension; this includes, as well as strength and national, cultural, educational, religious and other parameters).
5. Interesting observations

From the first law of population movement and taking into account a careful examination of the map of the current distribution of races, we can deduce the following observations.

First, even at the present historical time, all four ancient races are extremely isolated in terms of their distribution areas. Recall that we do not consider hereinafter the colonization by Negroids, Caucasians and Mongoloids of both Americas. These four races have the so-called cores of their ranges, which in no case coincide, that is, none of the races in the center of their range coincides with similar parameters of any other race.

Secondly, the central "points" (regions) of the ancient racial regions remain quite "pure" in composition at the present time. Moreover, the mixing of races occurs exclusively only on the borders of neighboring races. Never - by mixing races that were not historically located in the neighborhood. That is, we do not observe any mixing of the Mongoloid and Negroid races, since between them is the Caucasoid race, which, in turn, has mixtures with both Negroids and Mongoloids just at the points of contact with them.

Thirdly, if the central points of the settlement of races are determined by a simple geometric calculation, then it turns out that these points are located at the same distance from each other, equal to 6000 (plus or minus 500) kilometers:

Negroid point - 5 ° S, 20 ° E;

Caucasoid point - with. Batumi, extreme eastern point the Black Sea (41°N, 42°E);

Mongoloid point - ss. Aldan and Tomkot in the upper reaches of the Aldan River, a tributary of the Lena (58°N, 126°E);

Australoid point - 5° S, 122° E

Moreover, the points are also equidistant (and approximately at the same distance) central regions settlement of the Mongoloid race on both American continents.

An interesting fact is that if all four central points of the settlement of races, as well as three points located in South, Central and North America, are connected, then you get a line resembling a constellation bucket " Big Dipper”, but inverted relative to its current position.
6. Conclusions

An assessment of the areas of settlement of races allows us to draw a number of conclusions and assumptions.
6.1. Conclusion 1:

It does not seem legitimate and substantiated a possible theory that suggests the birth and resettlement of modern races from one common point.

We are currently observing precisely the process that leads to the mutual averaging of the races. As, for example, the experiment with water, when a certain amount of hot water is poured into cold water. We understand that after some finite and complete estimated time hot water is mixed with cold water and the temperature is averaged. After that, the water will generally become somewhat warmer than cold before mixing, and somewhat colder than hot before mixing.

The situation is the same with the four old races - we are currently observing precisely the process of their mixing, when the races mutually penetrate each other, like cold and hot water, form mestizo races in the places of their contact.

If four races were formed from one center, then we would not observe mixing now. Since in order to form four from one essence, a process of separation and mutual dispersal, isolation, accumulation of differences must occur. And mutual cross-breeding, which is now taking place, is a clear proof of the reverse process - mutual diffusion four races. An inflection point that would separate more early process the separation of races from the later process of their mixing has not yet been found. Convincing Evidence in the objective existence of some moment in history, from which the process of separation of races would be replaced by their unification, is not found. Therefore, it is precisely the process of historical mixing of races that should be considered as a completely objective and normal process.

And this means that initially the four ancient races had to be inevitably divided and isolated from each other. The question of the force that could be engaged in such a process, we will leave open for the time being.

This assumption of ours is convincingly confirmed by the very map of the distribution of races. As we have previously revealed, there are four conditional points of the initial settlement of the four ancient races. These points, by a strange chance, are located in a sequence that has a clearly defined series of patterns:

in the first place, each frontier of mutual contact of races serves only as a division between two races, and nowhere as a division between three or four;

secondly, the distances between such points, by a strange coincidence, are almost the same and equal to about 6000 kilometers.

The processes of development of territorial spaces by races can be compared with the formation of a pattern on frosty glass - from one point the pattern spreads to different sides.

Obviously, the races, each in its own way, but general form The distribution of races was quite the same - from the so-called distribution point of each race, it spread in different directions, gradually developing new territories. After quite an estimated time, the races sown 6000 kilometers from each other met at the borders of their ranges. Thus began the process of their mixing and the emergence of various mestizo races.

The process of building and expanding the ranges of races fully falls under the definition of the concept of "organismic center of organization", when there are patterns that describe such a spread of races.

The natural and most objective conclusion suggests itself about the existence of four separate centers of origin of four different - ancient - races located on equal distance from each other. Moreover, the distances and points of "seeding" races are chosen in such a way that if we tried to repeat such a "seeding", we would come to the same variant. Consequently, the Earth was inhabited by someone or something from the 4 various areas our galaxy or our universe....
6.2. Conclusion 2:

Perhaps the original placement of the races was artificial.

Row random coincidences in the distances and equidistance of the races leads us to believe that this was not accidental. Law 3.10. Organismics says: ordered chaos acquires intelligence. It is interesting to trace the work of this law in the reverse causal direction. The expression 1+1=2 and the expression 2=1+1 are equally true. And, therefore, the causal relationship in their members works in both directions equally.

By analogy with this, law 3.10. we can reformulate as follows: (3.10.-1) intelligence is an acquisition due to the ordering of chaos. The circumstance when, out of the three segments connecting four, it seems, random points, all three segments are equal to the same value, otherwise, it cannot be called a manifestation of intelligence. In order for the distances to match, it is necessary to measure them accordingly.

In addition, and this circumstance is no less interesting and mysterious, the “wonderful” distance between the points of origin of races, revealed by us, for some strange and inexplicable reason, is equal to the radius of the planet Earth. Why?

By connecting the four seeding points of the races and the center of the Earth (and they are all located at the same distance), we will get a quadrangular equilateral pyramid, with its apex directed towards the center of the Earth.

Why? Why in a seemingly chaotic world, clear geometric shapes?
6.3. Conclusion 3:

On the initial maximum isolation of races.

Let's start the consideration of mutually pairwise settlement of races with a pair of Negroids-Caucasoids. Firstly, Negroids do not come into contact with any other race. Secondly, between the Negroids and the Caucasians lies the region of central Africa, which is characterized by the abundant distribution of lifeless deserts. That is, initially, the location of the Negroids relative to the Caucasians provided that these two races would have the least contact with each other. There is some intent here. And also an additional argument against the theory of monogenism - at least in part of the Negroid-Caucasian couple.

In a pair of Caucasians-Mongoloids, there are also similar features. The same distance between the conditional centers of the formation of races is 6000 kilometers. The same natural barrier to the mutual penetration of races is extremely frosty northern regions and Mongolian deserts.

The pair of Mongoloids-Australoids also provides for the maximum use of terrain conditions, preventing the mutual penetration of these races, which are approximately the same 6000 kilometers apart from each other.

Only in recent decades, with the development of means of transport and communications, did the interpenetration of races become not only possible, but also assumed a mass character.

Naturally, in the course of our research, these conclusions may be subject to revision.
Final conclusion:

Everything shows that there were four points of sowing races. They are equidistant both between themselves and from the center of the planet Earth. Races have only mutual-pair contacts. The process of mixing races is a process of two recent centuries before that, the races were isolated. If there was an intent in the initial settlement of the races, then it was this: to settle the races so that they are as much as possible long time did not come into contact with each other.

This was probably an experiment to solve the problem - which race will better adapt to earthly conditions. And also, which race will be more progressive in its development....

Source - razrusitelmifov.ucoz.ru

The population of our planet is so diverse that one can only be surprised. What kind of nationalities, nationalities you will not meet! Everyone has their own faith, customs, traditions, orders. Its beautiful and unusual culture. However, all these differences are formed only by the people themselves in the process of social historical development. And what underlies the differences that appear externally? After all, we are all very different:

• blacks;
• yellow-skinned;
• white;
• with different eye colors
• various heights, etc.

It is obvious that the reasons are purely biological, independent of the people themselves and formed by evolution over thousands of years. This is how the modern races of man were formed, which theoretically explain the visual diversity of human morphology. Let us consider in more detail what this term is, what is its essence and meaning.

The concept of "race of people"

What is a race? It is not a nation, not a people, not a culture. These concepts should not be confused. After all, representatives of different nationalities and cultures can freely belong to the same race. Therefore, the definition can be given such as the science of biology gives.

The races of man are a collection of external morphological features, that is, those that are the phenotype of the representative. They were formed under the influence of external conditions, the impact of a complex of biotic and abiotic factors, and were fixed in the genotype during evolutionary processes. Thus, the signs that underlie the division of people into races should include:

• growth;
• skin and eye color;
• structure and shape of hair;
• hair growth skin;
• features of the structure of the face and its parts.

All those signs Homo sapiens as species, which lead to the formation of the external appearance of a person, but do not affect his personal, spiritual and social qualities and manifestations, as well as the level of self-development and self-education.

People of different races have a completely identical biological springboard for the development of certain abilities. Their general karyotype is the same:

• women - 46 chromosomes, that is, 23 pairs of XX;
• men - 46 chromosomes, 22 pairs XX, 23 pairs - XY.

This means that all representatives of a reasonable person are one and the same, among them there are no more or less developed, superior to others, higher. From a scientific point of view, everyone is equal.

Types of human races, formed over about 80 thousand years, have an adaptive value. It is proved that each of them was formed in order to provide a person with the possibility of a normal existence in a given habitat, to facilitate adaptability to climatic, relief and other conditions. There is a classification showing which races of Homo sapiens existed before, and which are at the present time.

Race classification

She is not alone. The thing is that until the 20th century it was customary to distinguish 4 races of people. These were the following varieties:

• Caucasian;
• australoid;
• negroid;
• Mongoloid.

For each, detailed characteristic features were described by which any individual could be identified. human species. However, later the classification became widespread, which includes only 3 human races. This became possible due to the unification of the Australoid and Negroid groups into one.

So modern views the races of man are as follows.

1. Large: Caucasoid (European), Mongoloid (Asian-American), Equatorial (Australian-Negroid).
2. Small: many different branches that were formed from one of the large races.

Each of them has its own characteristics, characteristics, external manifestations in the form of people. All of them are considered by anthropologists, and the science itself, which studies this question is biology. Human races have interested people since ancient times. Indeed, completely contrasting external features often became the cause of racial strife and conflict.

Genetic studies of recent years allow again to talk about the division of the equatorial group into two. Consider all 4 races of people who stood out earlier and have become relevant again recently. We note the signs and features.

australoid race

Typical representatives of this group include the indigenous people of Australia, Melanesia, South-East Asia, India. Also the name of this race is Australo-Veddoid or Australo-Melanesian. All synonyms make it clear which minor races are included in this group. They are the following:

• australoids;
• veddoids;
• Melanesians.

In general, the characteristics of each group represented do not vary too much among themselves. There are several main features that characterize all small races of people of the Australoid group.

1. Dolichocephaly - an elongated shape of the skull in relation to the proportions of the rest of the body.
2. Deep-set eyes, wide slit. The color of the iris is predominantly dark, sometimes almost black.
3. The nose is wide, the bridge of the nose is pronounced flat.
4. The body hair is very well developed.
5. The hair on the head is dark in color (sometimes natural blonds are found among Australians, which was the result of a once-fixed natural genetic mutation of the species). Their structure is rigid, they can be curly or slightly curly.
6. The growth of people is average, often above average.
7. The physique is thin, elongated.

Within the Australoid group, people of different races differ from each other sometimes quite strongly. So, a native of Australia can be a tall blonde with a dense build, with straight hair, with light brown eyes. At the same time, the Melanesian will be a thin, short dark-skinned representative who has curly black hair and almost black eyes.

Therefore, the above common features for the whole race - this is only an average version of their cumulative analysis. Naturally, miscegenation also takes place - mixing various groups as a result of natural crossing of species. That is why it is sometimes very difficult to identify a particular representative and attribute him to one or another small and large race.

Negroid race

The people who make up this group are the settlers of the following territories:

• Eastern, Central and Southern Africa;
• part of Brazil;
• some peoples of the USA;
• representatives of the West Indies.

In general, such races of people as Australoids and Negroids used to unite in the equatorial group. However Research XXI centuries have proved the failure of such an order. After all, the differences in the signs shown between the designated races are too great. And some similarities explained very simply. After all, the habitats of these individuals are very similar in terms of the conditions of existence, therefore, the adaptations in appearance are also close.

So, the representatives of the Negroid race are characterized by the following signs.

1. Very dark, sometimes blue-black, skin color, as it is especially rich in melanin content.
2. Wide eye slit. They are large, dark brown, almost black.
3. The hair is dark, curly, coarse.
4. Growth varies, often low.
5. The limbs are very long, especially the arms.
6. The nose is wide and flat, the lips are very thick, fleshy.
7. The jaw is devoid of a chin protrusion and protrudes forward.
8. Ears are large.
9. Facial hair is poorly developed, beard and mustache are absent.

Negroids are easy to distinguish from others by external data. Below are the different races of people. The photo reflects how clearly Negroids differ from Europeans and Mongoloids.

Mongoloid race

Representatives of this group are characterized by special features that allow them to adapt to fairly severe conditions. external conditions: desert sands and winds, blinding snow drifts and so on.

Mongoloids are the indigenous people of Asia and much of America. Their characteristic features are as follows.

1. Narrow or slanting eyes.
2. The presence of epicanthus - a specialized skin fold aimed at covering inner corner eyes.
3. The color of the iris is light to dark brown.
4. characterized by brachycephaly (short head).
5. Superciliary ridges thickened, strongly protruding.
6. Sharp high cheekbones are well defined.
7. The hairline on the face is poorly developed.
8. The hair on the head is coarse, dark in color, of a straight structure.
9. The nose is not wide, the bridge of the nose is low.
10. Lips of different thickness, usually narrow.
11. Skin color varies different representatives from yellow to swarthy, fair-skinned people are also found.

It should be noted that another hallmark is not high growth, both in men and women. It is the Mongoloid group that prevails in numbers, if we compare the main races of people. They populated almost all climatographic zones of the Earth. close to them quantitative characteristics there are Caucasians, which we will consider below.

Caucasian race

First of all, we will designate the predominant habitats of people from this group. This is:

• Europe.
• North Africa.
• Western Asia.

Thus, representatives unite the two main parts of the world - Europe and Asia. Since the living conditions were also very different, then the general signs are again an average option after analyzing all the indicators. Thus, the following features of appearance can be distinguished.

1. Mesocephaly - medium head in the structure of the skull.
2. Horizontal section of the eyes, absence of strongly pronounced superciliary ridges.
3. Narrow protruding nose.
4. Lips of different thickness, usually of medium size.
5. Soft curly or straight hair. There are blondes, brunettes, brown-haired.
6. Eye color from light blue to brown.
7. Skin color also varies from pale, white to swarthy.
8. The hairline is very well developed, especially on the chest and face of men.
9. The jaws are orthognathic, that is, slightly pushed forward.

In general, a European is easy to distinguish from others. Appearance allows you to do this almost unmistakably, even without using additional genetic data.

If you look at all the races of people, the photo of whose representatives is located below, the difference becomes obvious. However, sometimes the signs are mixed so deeply that the identification of the individual becomes almost impossible. He is able to belong to two races at once. This is further aggravated by intraspecific mutation, which leads to the appearance of new traits.

For example, albinos-Negroids are special case the appearance of blondes in the Negroid race. A genetic mutation that disrupts the integrity of racial traits in a given group.

Origin of human races

Where did such a variety of signs of the appearance of people come from? There are two main hypotheses that explain the origin of human races. This is:

• monocentrism;
• polycentrism.

However, none of them has yet become an officially accepted theory. According to the monocentric point of view, initially, about 80 thousand years ago, all people lived in the same territory, and therefore their appearance was approximately the same. However, over time, growing numbers have led to a wider settlement of people. As a result, some groups found themselves in difficult climatic conditions.

This led to the development and fixation at the genetic level of some morphological adaptations that help in survival. For example, dark skin and curly hair provide thermoregulation and a cooling effect on the head and body in Negroids. And the narrow cut of the eyes protects them from sand and dust, as well as from blinding by white snow among the Mongoloids. The developed hairline of Europeans is a kind of thermal insulation in severe winters.

Another hypothesis is called polycentrism. She says that different types races of man descended from several ancestral groups that were unevenly settled around the globe. That is, there were initially several foci, from which the development and consolidation of racial characteristics began. Again, under the influence of climatic conditions.

That is, the process of evolution proceeded linearly, at the same time affecting aspects of life on different continents. This is how the formation of modern types of people from several phylogenetic lines took place. However, it is not necessary to say for sure about the viability of one or another hypothesis, since evidence of biological and genetic nature, molecular level no.

Modern classification

The races of people according to the estimates of current scientists have the following classification. Two trunks stand out, and each of them has three large races and many small ones. It looks like this.

1. Western trunk. Includes three races:

• Caucasians;
• capoids;
• negroids.

The main groups of Caucasians: Nordic, Alpine, Dinaric, Mediterranean, Falian, East Baltic and others.

Minor races of capoids: Bushmen and Khoisans. inhabit South Africa. In the fold above the eyelids, they are similar to the Mongoloids, but in other ways they differ sharply from them. The skin is not elastic, which is why the appearance of early wrinkles is characteristic of all representatives.

Groups of Negroids: Pygmies, Nilots, Negroes. All of them are settlers of different parts of Africa, therefore they have similar signs of appearance. Very dark eyes, the same skin and hair. Thick lips and no chin protrusion.

2. Eastern trunk. Includes the following major races:

• australoids;
• americanoids;
• Mongoloids.

Mongoloids - are divided into two groups - northern and southern. These are the indigenous inhabitants of the Gobi Desert, which left its mark on the appearance of these people.

Americanoids - the population of North and South America. They have a very high growth, the epicanthus is often developed, especially in children. However, the eyes are not as narrow as those of the Mongoloids. Combine the characteristics of several races.

Australoids consist of several groups:

• Melanesians;
• veddoids;
• Ainu;
• Polynesians;
• Australians.

Their characteristic features have been discussed above.

Minor races

This concept is a rather highly specialized term that allows you to identify any person to any race. After all, each large one is subdivided into many small ones, and they are already compiled on the basis of not only small external hallmarks, but also include data from genetic studies, clinical analyzes, molecular biology facts.

Therefore, small races are what allows you to more accurately reflect the position of each individual in the system. organic world, and specifically, in the composition species Homo sapiens sapiens. What specific groups exist was discussed above.

Racism

As we found out, there are different races of people. Their signs can be strongly polar. This is what led to the emergence of the theory of racism. She says that one race is superior to another, since it is made up of more highly organized and perfect beings. At one time, this led to the appearance of slaves and their white masters.

However, from a scientific point of view this theory completely absurd and untenable. The genetic predisposition to the development of certain skills and abilities is the same for all peoples. The proof that all races are biologically equal is the possibility of free interbreeding between them with the preservation of the health and viability of the offspring.

The current appearance of mankind is the result of a complex historical development of human groups and can be described by highlighting special biological types- human races. It is assumed that their formation began to occur 30-40 thousand years ago, as a result of the settlement of people along new geographical areas. According to the researchers, their first groups moved from the region of modern Madagascar to South Asia, then Australia, a little later to Far East, to Europe and America. This process gave rise to the original races from which all subsequent diversity of peoples arose. Within the framework of the article, it will be considered which main races are distinguished within the species Homo sapiens (reasonable man), their characteristics and features.

Race Meaning

To sum up the definitions of anthropologists, then a race is a historically established set of people who have a common physical type(skin color, hair structure and color, skull shape, etc.), the origin of which is associated with a certain geographical area. At the present time, the relation of race to area is not always revealed quite clearly, but it definitely took place in the distant past.

The origin of the term "race" is not reliably defined, but there has been much debate in scientific circles over its use. In this regard, initially the term was ambiguous and conditional. There is an opinion that the word represents a modification of the Arabic lexeme ras - head or beginning. There is also every reason to believe that this term may be related to the Italian razza, which means "tribe". Interestingly, in modern meaning this word is first found in the writings of the French traveler and philosopher Francois Bernier. In 1684 he gives one of the first classifications of the major human races.

races

Attempts to put together a picture that classifies human races, were undertaken by the ancient Egyptians. They identified four types of people according to their skin color: black, yellow, white, and red. And for a long time this division of mankind persisted. scientific classification The Frenchman Francois Bernier tried to give the main types of races in the 17th century. But more complete and constructed systems appeared only in the twentieth century.

It is known that generally accepted classification does not exist, and all of them are rather conditional. But in the anthropological literature most often refer to Ya. Roginsky and M. Levin. They identified three large races, which in turn are divided into small ones: Caucasoid (Eurasian), Mongoloid and Negro-Australoid (Equatorial). When constructing this classification, scientists took into account the morphological similarity, geographical distribution races and the time of their formation.

Race characteristics

The classic racial characteristic is determined by the complex physical features related to appearance man and his anatomy. The color and shape of the eyes, the shape of the nose and lips, the pigmentation of the skin and hair, the shape of the skull are the primary racial features. There are also minor features such as physique, height and proportions of the human body. But in view of the fact that they are very variable and depend on environmental conditions, they are not used in racial science. Racial signs are not interconnected by one or another biological dependence, therefore they form numerous combinations. But it is stable traits that make it possible to distinguish races high order(main), while minor races are distinguished on the basis of more variable indicators.

Thus, the main characteristic of a race includes morphological, anatomical and other features that have a stable hereditary nature and are minimally influenced by environment.

Caucasian race

Nearly 45% of the population the globe belong to the European race. Geographic discoveries America and Australia allowed her to settle around the world. However, its main core is concentrated within Europe, the African Mediterranean and southwestern Asia.

In the Caucasoid group, the following combination of signs is distinguished:

• clearly profiled face;
• pigmentation of hair, skin and eyes from the lightest to darkest shades;
• straight or wavy soft hair;
• medium or thin lips;
• narrow nose, strongly or moderately protruding from the plane of the face;
• poorly formed fold of the upper eyelid;
• developed hairline on the body;
• large hands and feet.

The composition of the Caucasoid race is distinguished by two large branches - northern and southern. The northern branch is represented by Scandinavians, Icelanders, Irish, British, Finns and others. South - Spaniards, Italians, southern French, Portuguese, Iranians, Azerbaijanis and others. All the differences between them are in the pigmentation of the eyes, skin and hair.

Mongoloid race

The formation of the Mongoloid group has not been fully explored. According to some assumptions, the nationality was formed in the central part of Asia, in the Gobi desert, which was distinguished by its harsh sharply continental climate. As a result, representatives of this race of people mainly have strong immunity and good adaptation to fundamental changes climatic conditions.

Signs of the Mongoloid race:

• brown or black eyes with a slanted and narrow slit;
• overhanging upper eyelids;
• moderately enlarged nose and lips medium size;
• skin color from yellow to brown;
• straight coarse dark hair;
• strongly protruding cheekbones;
• poorly developed body hair.

The Mongoloid race is divided into two branches: the northern Mongoloids (Kalmykia, Buryatia, Yakutia, Tuva) and southern peoples(Japan, residents of the Korean Peninsula, South China). Ethnic Mongols can act as prominent representatives of the Mongoloid group.

The equatorial (or Negro-Australoid) race is large group people, which is 10% of humanity. It includes Negroid and Australoid groups, which for the most part live in Oceania, Australia, tropical zone Africa and in the regions of South, Southeast Asia.

Most researchers consider the specific characteristics of a race as a result of the development of a population in a hot and humid climate:

• dark pigmentation of the skin, hair and eyes;
• coarse curly or wavy hair;
• the nose is wide, slightly protruding;
• thick lips with a significant mucous part;
• outstanding Bottom part faces.

The race is distinctly divided into two trunks - eastern (Pacific, Australian and Asian groups) and western (African groups).

Minor races

The main races in which humanity has been successfully imprinted on all continents of the earth, branching out into a complex mosaic of people - small races (or races of the second order). Anthropologists distinguish from 30 to 50 such groups. The Caucasoid race consists of the following types: White Sea-Baltic, Atlanto-Baltic, Middle Caucasoid, Balkan-Caucasian (Ponto-Zagros) and Indo-Mediterranean.

The Mongoloid group distinguishes: Far Eastern, South Asian, North Asian, Arctic and American types. It is worth noting that the last of them in some classifications tends to be considered as an independent big race. In today's Asia, the Far Eastern (Koreans, Japanese, Chinese) and South Asian (Javanese, Probes, Malays) types are most prevalent.

The equatorial population is divided into six small groups: the African Negroids are represented by the Negro, Central African and Bushman races, the Oceanian Australoids are the Veddoid, Melanesian and Australian (in some classifications it is put forward as the main race).

mixed race

In addition to races of the second order, there are also mixed and transitional races. Presumably they formed from ancient populations within the borders climatic zones, through contact between representatives of different races, or appeared during long-distance migrations, when it was necessary to adapt to new conditions.

Thus, there are Euro-Mongoloid, Euro-Negroid and Euro-Mongol-Negroid sub-races. For example, the Laponoid group has signs of three main races: prognathism, prominent cheekbones, soft hair, and others. The carriers of such characteristics are the Finno-Permian peoples. Or Ural which is represented by Caucasoid and Mongoloid populations. She is characterized by the following dark straight hair, moderate skin pigmentation, Brown eyes, moderate hairline. Mostly distributed in Western Siberia.

• Until the 20th century, there were no representatives of the Negroid race in Russia. In the USSR, during the cooperation with developing countries, about 70 thousand blacks remained to live.
• Only one Caucasian race is capable of producing lactase throughout its life, which is involved in the absorption of milk. In the other major races, this ability is observed only in infancy.
• Genetic studies have determined that the fair-skinned inhabitants of the northern territories of Europe and Russia have about 47.5% of Mongolian genes and only 52.5% of European ones.
• A large number of people who self-identify as pure African Americans have European ancestry. In turn, Europeans can find Native Americans or Africans in their ancestors.
• The DNA of all the inhabitants of the planet, regardless of external differences(skin colors, hair textures), are 99.9% the same, therefore, from the standpoint of genetic studies existing concept"race" is meaningless.

Curious maps can be found on the website of the US National Bureau of the Census. The cartograms show the population density of a particular race by county in 2000.

1. Density of the white population. Large light areas on the left and above are Indian reservations.

2. The density of the black population or African Americans (as indicated on the map, there is obviously some difference). highest density is observed in the southern states, former plantations, where, in fact, the ancestors of today's African Americans once worked.

3. Density of the Hispanic population (referring to the white race). A predictable outcome is that most Hispanics live near the US Mexican border.

4. The density of the original population of America - the Indians (with the exception of Alaska). Dark spots are the reservations or the last Indian lands.

5. And finally, the density of the Asian diaspora. The highest percentage was found in Hawaiian Islands and in San Francisco.

This and other data from the 2000 US Census can be downloaded free of charge from