Does skin color tell us anything about a person's cultural or individual identity? In our society, we seem to easily categorize individuals based on racial stereotypes. Cultural anthropologists have been able to determine real biological differences in humans that explain why people in different parts of the world have different skin colors. The study of how and why the physical traits of human populations vary across the world is known as the study of human variation. According to geneticist Jeffrey C. Long, “none of the observable traits that people associate with race are simple genetic traits. Complex traits are influenced by multiple genes as well as the environment. There appear to be only subtle changes in the genetic makeup of humans from one place to another. Anthropologists have explained this simply as a consequence of people marrying those who live close to home rather than marrying those who live great distances away. An example of this is how multiple generations of families seem to share many of the same inherited traits. (American Anthropological Association, 2011) To begin to understand why there are distinct patterns in the genetic makeup of people from various regions, biological anthropologists gather data on genetically inherited traits. Tests such as blood type and DNA sequencing have provided researchers with very detailed information that has helped them understand the biological diversity of humans. Most of our DNA is passed down as pairs of chromosomes: half of each pair comes from the mother and half from the father. Each parent also has a particular type of DNA that is exclusive to them, which they then pass on to their offspring. Mothers pass on mitochondrial DNA, while Y chromosome DNA is passed on middle of paper......in our environments to survive. Works Cited Jablonski, NG (2000, February). The evolution of human skin coloring. Accessed October 6, 2011 from http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/chem/faculty/leontis/chem447/PDF_files/Jablonski_skin_color_2000.pdfOneil, D. (1998-2011). Modern human variation: models of classification. Retrieved October 6, 2011 from http://anthro.palomar.edu/vary/vary_2.htmScupin and DeCorse. (2008). Anthropology, a global perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Hall. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. (nd). What does it mean to be human? Retrieved October 13, 2011 from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/skin-colorthe American Anthropological Association. (2011). Race: Are we so different? Retrieved October 6, 2011 from http://understandingrace.org