Explain with suitable illustration the traits on which the racial classification is based

Determinants of race

How is race determined? In determining race, physical characteristics are examined. Roughly speaking, these physical traits are of two types- A. Indefinite physical traits, B. Definite physical traits.

Indefinite Physical Traits

Those physical traits which are inamenable to any measurement are called indefinite physical traits, such as the colour of the skin. Hence they can only be described. Indefinite physical traits are the following:

1.Colour of the skin

Usually, on the basis of colour of the skin people differentiate between the white, yellow and black races, etc. But it is difficult to distinguish between the microscopic differences in the colour of the skin since the colour of the skin alters with the effect of the climate. Hence, anthropologists do not lay much emphasis on the colour of the skin in trying to discover the race. Of the colour of the skin the following distinctions are made:

(i) Leucoderm. As Caucasian,

(ii) Xanthoderm. As Mongolian,

(iii) Melanoderm. As Negro

As has been said above, it is very difficult to determine the race on the basis of colour distinction since the colour of the skin is subject to change and subtle variation. In addition to this, every colour has many intermediate distinctions. Risley has spoken of many fair colours in India e.g., blood red white skin of the Kashmir people, the pale, transparent wheatish or white skift of the superior castes of Northern India.

2. Texture and colour of hair.

The texture and colour of hair is aether indefinite physical trait of race. There are the three following distinctions of hair based of texture:

(i) Leiotrichy (soft straight hair), as of the Mongols and Chinese.

(ii) Cymotrichy (smooth curly hair), as of the inhabitants of India, Western Europe, Australia and North East Africa.

(iii) Ulotrichy (thick curly hair), as of the Negroes.

3. Structure and colour of the eyes.

There are three distinctions of the colour of the eyes-white, grey and yellow. The structure of the orifice of the eye is usually horizontal but at some places diagonal eyes are found as its Southern Europe and North Africa.

Definite Physical Traits

Definite physical traits are those which can be measured. The following affect definite physical traits.

1. Stature.

Different races are distinguished on the basis of differences in stature. Topinard has classified height in the following rffcnner:

(i) Tall stature. 170 centimetres (5 feet 7 inches) or above

(ii) Above average stature. 165 centimetres (6 feet 5 inches to 7 inches)

(iii) Short Stature. 160 centimetres (below 5 feet 3 inches). The average bright of the Pategonian people is the greatest and those of the African #<bushmen the shortest.

2. Structure of the head.

Heads are classified in three classes according to the ratio of length and width, (i) Dolico-cephalic, (ii) Meso- CAphalic, (iii) Brachy-cephalic.

The structure of the head can be known by the ratio of its length to its l>breadths. The Cephalic index can be calculated by multiplying the width of tNe head by 100 and by dividing the product by its iength. The cephalic index (>lf the dolico-cephalic is 75. that of the meso-cephalic between 75 and 80 and the brachy-cephalic 80 per cent.

In India the brachy-cephalic is found in b engal, meso-cephalic in Bihar and the dolico-cephalic in Uttar Pradesh. ? treviously, much importance was attached to the structure of the head in the ^termination of race but since Boas has proved that changes in the environment change the structure of the head it has lost much of its effect determinant of race.

3. Structure of nose

Taking the length of the nose as 100, the percentage of its width is calculated. The resultant figure is called the nasal index. It is this which helps to determine the structure of the nose. According to the nasal index the nasal structure also has been classified in three classes:

(i) Leptorrhine. (thin) – 70% nasal index of the type typical of the Punjab.

(ii) Mesorrhine. (medium) – above 70% index of the type found in the people of U.P.

(iii) Platyrrhine. above 85% nasal index of the type found in Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Chotta Nagpur areas of India.

4. Blood group

The blood group is one such racial trait which remains unaffected by changes in the environment. There are four types of blood groups A; B; AB; and O. In every race, people who have these blood groups are to be found. But the proportion of their members differs from race to race.

5. Length of hands and feet

Among different races the lengths of the hands and feet do not coincide.

6. Perimeter of chest

Differences in the chest measurement between people of different races are found.

Races undoubtedly are determined by the above mentioned traits. But it is almost impossible to find all the traits of one race in the people of any country. Now all the races of the world have been interred mixed. Hence there is no pure race anywhere.