Johann Friedrich Blumenbach

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach was a German anthropologist from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, known for his work in human classification and racial studies. He is considered one of the early figures in physical anthropology, developing a system that categorized humans into five major groups based on skin color and geographic origin: Caucasian, Mongolian, Malayan, Ethiopian, and American. Blumenbach emphasized the importance of studying human diversity with scientific curiosity, but his classifications reflected the thinking of his time and are now viewed as outdated and problematic. His work helped shape early ideas about human variation and race.