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Have you ever thought about why we look the way we
do? What makes some people’s hair curly and others’
straight? Why is some people’s skin dark and others’
light? These are some of the questions we asked Ms.
Susan Franz , an anthropologist, who talked to us about
people and their characteristics.
– Ms. Franz , why do people around the world look so
different?
– Well, think about the countries we live in. They differ
greatly in terrain, temperature, altitude and vegetation. Yet,
people have managed to make homes almost everywhere:
barren, rocky mountain tops, icy, freezing plains, wet
marshes, scorching deserts. The people living in these
different places have slowly become very different from
each other. Their skin colour, the shape and size of their
bodies and their characteristics have evolved over the
years to suit their surroundings.
– Can you give us some examples?
– Of course. A good example is skin colour. Scientists
think that dark skins – which are rich in a substance
called melanin – offer good protection against the burning
rays of the sun. Very dark, curly hair also offers good
insulation from the sun and heat. In northern countries,
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where the rays of the sun are weaker, people don’t need
dark skin. Their pale complexion allows the skin to absorb
the sun’s rays easily in order to make vitamin D.
– Facial characteristics are also very different. Why?
– Well, the key word here again is ‘adaptation’. In
extremely cold weather, ears and noses are often the first
parts of the body to suffer from frostbite. That’s why people
who live in very cold temperatures have facial characteristics
that help them survive the harsh weather. Their faces are
flat, and their noses are also small and flat. They also have
an extra layer of fat in their eyelids which gives them
slanted eyes.
– That’s very interesting! What about body size and height?
– Well, again scientists have found that people who live
in hot, dry climates are often tall and thin. This lean type
of body helps heat escape more quickly. People from cold
regions, on the other hand, tend to have more sturdy bodies,
covered by a layer of protective fat.
– So, if we move to a northern country, will our skin become
pale?
— Of course not! People’s bodies have slowly changed
over thousands of years. Who knows what we will look
like ten thousand years from now!...
Adapted from: “People and Places” Childcraft, World Book International
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