Human Traits

Inherited characteristics

What if aliens visited our planet and thought that all humans are alike….

Are we?

We are certainly different than plants or fungus!

Are they more alike than different?

Or...more different than alike?

Inherited human traitsParent organisms pass traits to their offspring so there are often similar characteristics seen in both parent and offspring. Inherited human traits include:

Ability to roll your tongue or notAttached or unattached earlobesDimples or frecklesNaturally curly or straight hairHitchhiker’s or straight thumbColor-blindness or normal color visionWidow’s peak or straight hairlineColor of skin and hairCleft or smooth chin

Inventory of my traitsWhat traits did I inherit?

Watch the following slides to determine YOUR traits – complete the “Inventory worksheet”

Earlobe Attachment

Attached Detached (Free)

Hitchhiker's Thumb

Tongue rolling

Dimples

Handedness

Crossed hands

Left thumb over right Right thumb over left

Freckles

Curly hair

Cleft chin

Color-blindness

Widow’s Peak

Mid-digit hair

Frequency

The rate of frequency is a statistical term that helps scientists determine how often an inherited trait occurs.

Frequency is important in discovering how much of the population differs (or is similar) from the whole.

Frequency = Number Observed/Total Population X 100

Frequency can be used to predict evolutionary changes to environmental changes