6(a) What is acclimatization ? Discuss adaptive responses to high altitude and cold climate.
20 Marks
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.7 Man's physiological responses to environmental stresses
Human Adolescent Growth Spurt — 2021 Paper I
Question · 2021 · Paper I · 10 Marks
Human adolescent growth spurt
Model Answer
VAID ICSApproach
- Demand of Question: Explain the nature, timing, determinants and anthropological significance of the adolescent growth spurt.
- Structuring the Response: Define it → describe sex differences and hormonal basis → mention determinants and evolutionary significance.
- Key Dimensions to Cover: Peak Height Velocity, Tanner, Bogin, puberty, sexual dimorphism, hormones, nutrition and human life-history.
Model Answer
Introduction
The adolescent growth spurt is the rapid acceleration in height, weight and skeletal growth during puberty, followed by deceleration toward adult size. J.M. Tanner, in Growth at Adolescence (2nd ed., 1962), systematically described its tempo, sexual differences and relation to maturation.
Major Features
- It begins earlier in girls, commonly around 9–10 years, and later in boys, around 11–12 years, though considerable individual and population variation exists.
- Growth velocity rises to a Peak Height Velocity (PHV) and then declines.
- Average PHV is approximately 8.3 cm/year in girls and 9.5 cm/year in boys.
- Pubertal growth contributes roughly 27.5–29 cm in girls and 30–31 cm in boys to final stature.
- Boys show a greater and later spurt, contributing to adult sexual dimorphism in stature and body composition.
Childhood steady growth → Take-off → Peak Height Velocity → Deceleration → Adult stature
Biological Regulation
The growth spurt reflects interaction among the growth hormone–IGF axis, gonadotropins and sex steroids. Rising testosterone and estradiol are closely associated with increased pubertal growth velocity; sex steroids also contribute ultimately to epiphyseal maturation and cessation of longitudinal growth.
Factors Affecting the Spurt
Its timing and magnitude are influenced by:
- Genetic potential
- Nutrition
- Disease and infection
- Endocrine status
- Socioeconomic and psychosocial conditions
- Physical activity and population differences.
Hence, adolescent growth is a useful indicator of the interaction between biology and environment.
Anthropological Significance
Barry Bogin, in Patterns of Human Growth, treats adolescence and the pronounced adolescent growth spurt as distinctive features of the human life-history pattern. Compared with other primates, humans show an unusually marked post-childhood acceleration in skeletal growth.
Conclusion
The adolescent growth spurt is therefore not merely an increase in stature but a bio-cultural and evolutionary phase of human development, integrating genetic, hormonal and environmental influences while producing adult body size, proportions and sexual dimorphism
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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2021 — Paper I
28 questions1(a) Animism and Deep Ecology
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 5. Religion > Forms of religion > Animism
Syllabus: Paper I > 12. Applications of Anthropology > Anthropology of sports; nutritional anthropology
1(d) “The bio-cultural approach is the hallmark of Biological Anthropology.” Explain.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.3 Main branches of Anthropology > Biological Anthropology
Syllabus: Paper I > 11.3 Biological and socio-ecological factors influencing fecundity and fertility
Syllabus: Paper I > 7. Culture, language and communication > Social context of language use
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.4 Chromosomes and chromosomal aberrations in man
2(b) Elucidate the concept of “thick description” of Clifford Geertz with a suitable example.
15 Marks
Syllabus: Paper I > 6. Anthropological Theories > Interpretive Anthropology > Geertz
5(d) Descent Groups
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 2.5 Kinship > Descent groups
Syllabus: Paper I > 12. Applications of Anthropology > Applied human genetics > Paternity diagnosis
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.8(b) Cultural Evolution: broad outlines of prehistoric cultures > Neolithic
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.3 Mendelian population and Hardy-Weinberg law > Evolutionary mechanisms
1(c) Historical Particularism and Franz Boas
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 6. Anthropological Theories > Historical Particularism (Boas)
5(a) Human adolescent growth spurt
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 10. Human growth and development > Stages of growth > Adolescence
5(c) Is race a valid and biologically meaningful concept ?
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.5 Race and racism > Biological basis of racial classification
Syllabus: Paper I > 2.5 Kinship > Alliance theory; structuralism
Syllabus: Paper I > 2.4 Family > Types and classification of the family
1(b) Marriage Regulations and Alliance Theory
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 2.3 Marriage > Rules of marriage; alliance theory
5(e) Modes of Subsistence
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 3. Economic Organization > Modes of subsistence
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.6 Phylogenetic status, characteristics and distribution > Homo erectus
Syllabus: Paper I > 10. Human growth and development > Ageing and senescence > Theories of ageing
3(a) How do political organisations of simple societies establish power, authority and legitimacy ?
20 Marks
Syllabus: Paper I > 4. Political Organization and Social Control > Power, authority and legitimacy
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.2 Relationships with other disciplines: Social Sciences
5(b) The losses and gains of erect posture
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.5 Characteristics of Primates > Skeletal changes due to erect posture
1(e) Thermoluminescence (TL) dating
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.8(a) Chronology: relative and absolute dating methods
Syllabus: Paper I > 8.3 Research Methods: Tools of data collection
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.8(b) Cultural Evolution: broad outlines of prehistoric cultures > Mesolithic
Syllabus: Paper I > 2.2 The Nature of Society > Social stratification