description Carleton S. Coon Overview
Carleton S. Coon was an American physical anthropologist whose work focused on human evolution, biological variation, and the classification of human populations. He is associated with mid-20th-century attempts to divide humanity into racial categories, especially through his book The Origin of Races. Those classifications and related views are widely regarded as scientifically outdated and have been criticized for reinforcing racial typologies.
help Carleton S. Coon FAQ
Who was Carleton S. Coon?
Carleton S. Coon was an American physical anthropologist who studied human evolution and biological variation. He worked during the mid-20th century.
What book is Carleton S. Coon best known for?
He is especially associated with The Origin of Races, published in 1962. The book argued for racial classifications that are widely regarded as scientifically outdated.
Why is Coon’s work controversial?
His attempt to divide human populations into biological racial categories and to describe separate evolutionary trajectories has been criticized by later anthropology and genetics. Modern population genetics emphasizes extensive shared ancestry and continuous variation.
Was Carleton Coon president of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists?
Yes. He served as president of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in the 1960s. His professional position did not prevent later scholars from rejecting important parts of his racial classification framework.
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