Caucasoid

Caucasoid is a term historically used in physical anthropology and racial classification to describe a purported human population group that was said to include most people of Europe, the Middle East, and parts of North Africa, with some definitions extending to parts of South and Central Asia. The term derives from the Caucasus region and was popularized in the 19th century as researchers attempted to categorize human diversity into discrete races based on skeletal measurements and superficial physical traits.

Traits historically cited as identifying features included skull shape, facial projection, nasal aperture, dental patterns, and some hair and skin characteristics. However, such traits are variable and do not form clear, biologically defined boundaries between human populations, and they correlate poorly with genetic differences.

By the mid-20th century, many anthropologists and, later, geneticists argued that human variation is continuous and clinal, with substantial overlap among populations. The concept of a distinct Caucasoid race is now considered obsolete in mainstream anthropology and genetics.

Contemporary usage typically avoids racial taxonomies in favor of terms describing ancestry, ethnicity, or geographic origin (for example, European, West Asian, North African). The historical concept is often discussed in critical contexts as part of the history of scientific racism and its social impacts.