-: Questions :-

Q1. Define race.
Answer: A race is a population of Homo sapiens that differs from other populations in the frequency of certain hereditary traits. According to E.A. Hooton (1946), a race is a group characterized by specific morphological and metrical features derived from common descent.

Q2. What do you mean by racial criteria?
Answer: Racial criteria refer to the various external and internal physical characteristics used to identify and classify human races. Since a single characteristic is never a reliable measure, racial identification is always made by considering more than one character. These criteria include hair form, face form, skin colour, eye form, and physiological traits like blood groups.

Q3. Straight hair is found among which racial group?
Answer: Straight hair (Leiotrichous hair) is found among the Mongoloid people.

Q4. Woolly hair is a characteristic feature of which racial group?
Answer: Woolly hair (Ulotrichous hair) is available among the Negroes, Andamanese, Bushman, Papuans, and Melanesians.

Q5. How do you find face form?
Answer: The actual shape of a face can be determined by examining the relationship between its breadth and length, which is expressed using the Morphological Facial Index:

Morphological Facial Index = (Bizygomatic breadth / Morphological facial length) × 100

• Face Length is measured from the nasion (the upper end of the internasal suture) to the gnathion (the lowest point on the lower jaw).
• Face Breadth is measured as the greatest distance across the cheekbones, known as the bizygomatic breadth.

By calculating this index, the face form can be classified into various types based on proportional relationships.

Q6. What is facial Prognathism?
Answer: Facial prognathism refers to the forward projection of the jaw(s) or lower face relative to the upper facial skeleton. It is commonly observed in the maxilla (upper jaw) or mandible (lower jaw) and affects the profile and overall facial structure. Anthropologists often measure it to study human variation, evolution, and racial characteristics.

Q7. Who classified the finger patterns for the first time?
Answer: Galton identified three main types of finger patterns: arches, loops, and whorls. However, Henry classified the various finger patterns into four main types: arches, loops, true whorls, and composites.

Q8. What is triradius?
Answer: A triradius is a triangular point or focus where the ridges of a dermatoglyphic pattern converge.

Q9. How many triradii are there in a whorl?
Answer: Two triradii are present in a whorl.

Q10. What are the two types of loop?
Answer: A loop may be open to either the ulnar side or the radial side, and accordingly, the two types of loop are:

1. Ulnar loop (Lu)
2. Radial loop (Lr)

Q11. What are the different finger patterns?
Answer: The different finger patterns identified by Henry are:

1. Arches (A)
2. Loops (Ulnar, Lu, and Radial, Lr)
3. True Whorls (W)
4. Composites

Q12. How do you find the main line formula?
Answer: The palm is divided into various regions. Digital triradii (a, b, c, and d) are located at the bases of the digits. The proximal radiant of a digital triradius is traced to find out where it ends on the palm, and this line is called a palmar main line. There are four main lines named A, B, C, and D. The main line formula is obtained by recording the symbols of the four termination regions of the four main lines in the order of D, C, B, and A.

Q13. Write short note:

(a) Furuhata’s Index
Answer: This is an index calculated on the basis of the frequency distribution of finger patterns.

Furuhata’s Index = (Loops / Whorls) × 100

(b) Dankmeijer’s Index
Answer: This is another index calculated using the frequency distribution of different finger patterns.

Dankmeijer’s Index = (Whorls / Arches) × 100

(c) Pattern Intensity Index
Answer: This index is also calculated based on the frequency distribution of the different finger patterns.

Pattern Intensity Index = (n / (2 × Whorls + Loops))

(d) Skin Colour
Answer: Skin colour is one of the criteria used to classify the people of the world into three major groups:

1. Leucoderms (White Skinned people): Includes Europeans, most Western Asiatics, North Africans, and Polynesians.
2. Xanthoderms (Yellow Skinned people): Includes Asiatic Mongoloids, some Amerinds, Bushmen, and Hottentots.
3. Melanoderms (Black Skinned people): Includes Negroids, Papuans, and Melanesians with varying dark shades.

Q14. Black skin colour is found among which racial group?
Answer: Black skin colour (Melanoderms) is found among the Negroids.

Q15. What is epicanthic fold?
Answer: The epicanthic fold (or complete Mongoloid fold) is a characteristic feature where a fold of skin hangs over the free edge of the upper eyelid. In the case of the inner epicanthus, the fold covers the free edge of the inner angle of the eye and may extend onto the cheek.

Q16. Among which racial group epicanthic fold is found?
Answer: The epicanthic fold is a characteristic feature of the Mongoloid eye.

Q17. What are the different types of epicanthic folds?
Answer: The Mongoloid eye fold can be divided into four main varieties:

1. Complete Mongoloid Fold: Fold of skin hangs over the full upper lid.
2. Internal Epicanthus (Inner Epicanthus): Fold covers inner eye corner, may extend onto the cheek.
3. External Epicanthus: Starts at the middle upper lid and covers the outer eye corner.
4. Median or Cover Fold: Covers the middle upper lid; both corners remain uncovered.

Q18. Who discovered the ABO blood group?
Answer: The ABO blood group system in man was reported by K. Landsteiner in 1900.

Q19. What are the different types of blood group?
Answer: The four principal blood groups in the ABO system are denoted by the letters A, B, AB, and O.

Q20. Who is known as a universal donor?
Answer: People of the O group are known as the “Universal donor” because O blood can be safely transfused to persons of any blood group.

Q21. Who is known as a universal recipient?
Answer: People of the AB group are called “universal recipients” as they can safely receive blood of any group.

Q22 .What are the different types of hair form? Discuss.
Answer: Hair form is one of the most important and striking characteristics used in racial classification. Based on form, human hair can be divided into three main types:

1. Leiotrichous or Straight Hair is characteristic of Mongoloid people. It has several sub-divisions: Stretched hair, which is thick, coarse, straight, and stiff; Smooth hair, which is thin and soft; and Flat wavy hair, which is long with slight waves.
2. Cymotrichous or Wavy Hair is typically found among the Caucasoid (white) race, distributed across Western Asia, Europe, and parts of North-eastern Africa. This type of hair is classified into broad wavy, narrow wavy, and curly types, showing variations in wave and curl patterns.
3. Ulotrichous or Woolly Hair is characteristic of Negroes, Andamanese, Bushmen, Papuans, and Melanesians. Its sub-divisions include Frizzly hair, Loose Frizzles, Thick Frizzles, and Filfil (peppercorn hair), reflecting tightly curled or coiled hair structures typical of these populations.