Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
You must be well versed on the history of race in anthropology before embarking on
research in ancestry estimation. Therefore, this chapter will first review the different eras
of thought and practice in anthropology regarding race and will demonstrate the social
and political implications resulting from race research conducted by anthropologists and
others in the past two centuries. A discussion of modern era ancestry estimation using robust
statistics and a case study demonstrating a novel approach to ancestry estimation will be pre-
sented. After reading this chapter, you will have a better understanding of the history of
race/ancestry estimation in anthropology as well as a modern scientific foundation upon
which to base the exploration of your own questions.
A Note on Terminology
Throughout this chapter, the terms race and ancestry are used interchangeably. We will
use the term “race” when discussing the history of the concept or when referring to how
human groups have been classified, from either a supposedly biological or social stand-
point. The term “ancestry” will be used in reference to modern thought about human
variation. Additionally, we will only use the “-oid” terms (i.e., Caucasoid, Mongoloid,
and Negroid) when referring to a specific taxonomic schemata used in the past. When
talking about ancestry estimation today, the terms currently in vogue are European,
Asian, and African, because these exclusively refer to a major geographic region of ances-
tral origin,
3
rather than to a taxonomic classification engorged with underlying social
meaning.
(BRIEF) HISTORY OF RACE CONCEPT
This section is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the history of the race concept in
anthropology and cannot mention every important player in the development of the concept.
It will, however, set the basic background from which the reader can embark on further
exploration of the topics raised. There are a number of topic dedicated to the history of
race in anthropology, notably Man's Most Dangerous Myth by Ashley Montagu, The Mismeas-
ure of Man by Stephen J. Gould, and “Race” is a Four-Letter Word by C. Loring Brace, among
many others. A recent dissertation by
Algee-Hewitt (2011)
comprehensively covers the
subject as well. We encourage you to read these and others for a detailed background if
you wish to embark on a study in ancestry estimation.
Further, the following sections will discuss several specifics from anthropology's history
that may make many readers uncomfortable. It is important that you try to understand
history within its own context
d
i.e., recognize that each scientist works within the bound-
aries and established viewpoints set by their own culture. Likewise, anthropologists today
are confined by our own culture, even if we are self-aware of this fact and yet struggle to
3
While these categories are still somewhat race-based (
Mukhopadhyay and Moses, 1997
) there is no
consensus on what better alternative terminology would be.
