amusing physical anthropology site

[alan trowel hands.]

http://anthroeurope.blogspot.com/search/label/Scotland%20%3A%20Hebrides

I think its useful in that a lot of people have cliched ideas of extreme difference between peoples around Europe but in reality a lot of people everywhere are similar and only a small percentage conform to stereotypes. Its really complex and you get the feeling all that phenotype terminology cant cope and is not convincing. 

[Jdean]

Reminds me of a radio program I once listened to about the compulsion to gamble, driven by a natural desire to spot patterns in even the most random data apparently. According to the program this comes from an important survival instinct for our distant ancestors living in the wild, 'what's that noise !!'  :)

[seferhabahir]

Reminds me of a radio program I once listened to about the compulsion to gamble, driven by a natural desire to spot patterns in even the most random data apparently. According to the program this comes from an important survival instinct for our distant ancestors living in the wild, 'what's that noise !!'  :)

I thought the spotting patterns instinct came from the "which one of these random faces looking at me is my mom" capability to ensure infant survival. It's why we see things like the man in the moon, and the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich (which sold for $28,000 on eBay).

[Jdean]

I thought the spotting patterns instinct came from the "which one of these random faces looking at me is my mom" capability to ensure infant survival. It's why we see things like the man in the moon, and the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich (which sold for $28,000 on eBay).

I would have thought a mother’s face would be implanted in most infants fairly early, as you say an important survival instinct.

Spotting possible facial images hidden in other detail sounds a bit more like 'what was that noise'

The program itself started talking about an unfortunate side effect of a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease that causes a part of the brain dealing with this type of information to get over excited, leading to people gambling excessively.

[rms2]

http://anthroeurope.blogspot.com/search/label/Scotland%20%3A%20Hebrides

I think its useful in that a lot of people have cliched ideas of extreme difference between peoples around Europe but in reality a lot of people everywhere are similar and only a small percentage conform to stereotypes. Its really complex and you get the feeling all that phenotype terminology cant cope and is not convincing.  

I think this kind of thing is popular, and will remain so, because most of us want to feel we're part of a larger identity group, but not necessarily one that includes all of the rest of humanity, since that would be essentially meaningless - we already know we're human.

I remember many years ago, when I was a police officer, a friend of mine, who was of Polish extraction, and I were on a call at a hospital. An older lady who worked there had herself emigrated from Poland years earlier. For some reason, we got into a conversation about European origins. We asked her if she could guess our origins, but I think she had already seen my partner's name tag and knew he was Polish. She told him he looked like a "gypsy prince" (he was rather swarthy). Me she identified as "some sort of Irish mongrel" (I'm a big guy, with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes, and, at that time, dark hair). Yes, she used the word "mongrel", but I'm not sure why. I think it expressed her generally low view of the Irish (or of me?). Some of her other remarks made me believe she had been marinated in the old school of "Aryanism" and still cherished its prejudices, despite the fact that her own country had been devastated, and many of her family members killed, by its chief advocates.

Funny that she thought of the Irish as "mongrels", given the fact that Ireland is less diverse, at least on the y-dna side, than most other European countries.

(It is also very possible that I had said something that irritated her, and "some sort of . . . mongrel" was appended to "Irish" to put me in my place.)

[Iain Seoras Gunn]

What a cheek! disparaging a Southern Gentleman like that. She must have confused you with a Yankee! I'll get mi coat, then!!

[A.D.]

The Nordic Site of Physical Anthropology is a good one.

[rms2]

What a cheek! disparaging a Southern Gentleman like that. She must have confused you with a Yankee! I'll get mi coat, then!!

You know, thinking about it some more, I remembered more clearly that she actually said I looked like "some sort of mongrel Irish". So "mongrel" was used to modify "Irish", and not the other way around.

Actually, I regard it as a treasured compliment, which is why I think I still remember it.

All the Russians I met who mistook me for a German, now that is something else again! :-(

[IALEM]

Recently I have been mistaken thrice here in Spain as Russian, especifically because of the low tone of my voice. Identities can be very subtile some times

[eochaidh]

My father would have been Paleo-Atlantid according to this and would have matched mostly with Wales. He was Irish from Co. Wexford and black haired, black eyed. My sister and I would be the same only not as dark as my Dad. My mother would have been Atlantid and would have matched with the Hebrides. She was half French-Canadian and half Scots-Irish.

People, other than other Irish, thought my Dad looked Jewish. They think the same of me. People think my sister is Italian!

We all have/had fair skin, especially my Mom.