Around the 18th century, human variability and evolutionary phenomena began to be studied. Physical anthropology analyzed the remains of human beings with the purpose, according to the naturalists, of classifying human beings according to their traits. For the first time, there was talk of a human “race.” Why is this classification incorrect, like the classification of animals?
Concerning the animal kingdom, classifications by races arose to define groupings of beings with unique characteristics due to their habitat. In the case of humans, the concept of “race” had a different origin. Human variability was not classified based on an environmental selection regime (as is done with animals), but rather the characteristic traits were perceived as a reflection of the different cultural populations of the world.
However, in a shocking twist for humanity, certain characteristics were used as a basis for establishing a hierarchy among human beings. Colonialism and slavery led European populations (mainly) to think that science could justify actions against all those who were not considered “superior.”
How did the concept of human “race” emerge?
The tools to justify the discrimination of human beings were various and diverse. One was craniology, which studied the morphological characteristics of human skulls. The parameters of analysis were established by the own researchers, and for this reason, many “sciences” like craniology ended up being classified as pseudosciences.
Fortunately, many experts tried not to fall into the precepts that colonialism and other ideologies tried to instill concerning human differences. Little by little, more precise studies emerged pointing out the inconsistency of the concept of human “race.” One of the main reasons why this concept ended up being scientifically disproven is because it did not imply a univocal classification with irrefutable parameters.
Over time it has been understood that it is incorrect to define human variability because human beings are not static or sterile like the concept of “race.” Eventually, science got rid of this misconception, but the term remained anchored in the social sphere.
Eliminating the idea of human classification
Science ended up accepting the existence of human beings under the premise of a single species: Homo sapiens. Reference was made to the ancestor of each person, and neither his phenotypical characteristics nor the area from which he came from was taken into account.
In recent times, however, the notion of race has shifted to racism. The idea that there are human “races” is still taken as real by many (even if we fight fervently to eliminate it). Although science has proven that there is no factual evidence of the existence of superior human groups, it is complex to do away with pseudo-scientific ideas that have lasted thousands of years.
Today, more than ever, we are all working to gain acceptance and understanding of the idea that biologically we are all different, and our physical characteristics should never define our place or status on this planet.
Text and photos courtesy of Ecoosfera
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
