Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy

Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance

T2 2016-17

You have spent that last 10 weeks learning about data and
representations: boxplots, scatter plots, linear regressions, outliers, influential points, and
correlations. In this data-saturated world, its really important to understand and apply
your knowledge to analyzing actual data. Weve done this in class: you collected some data
(kneeling heights and arm spans, for example) and you looked at some data about
manatees, flight times, growth rates. But, except for the data you collected, someone else
scoured the interwebs and books to find and organize that data for you. Data isnt always
clean like that. It doesnt always come in nice little matched up pairs. Someone has to do
that work. Now its your turn.

Your Product
Your analysis should at least have
a table of your selected data and a paragraph explaining what the variables
represent
a box plot of each variable complete with a description (remember SOCS -
shape, outliers, center, and spread)
a comparison of the variables by describing similarities and differences of
the box plots
a scatterplot of your data
the equation of the best fit (regression) line
an interpretation of the meaning of the slope in the context of your data
some predictions based on the linear model (using the equation to find a
missing value)
a thorough analysis about outliers and influential points (removing an outlier
from the data to see if it is influential)

Part A: The Setup

1. Find your data! Which website(s) did you get it from?

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/chart/EDU685215/00
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/chart/HSG495215/00
2. Table of data (including titles of variables).
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17

3. What do your variables represent?

Note: You might have a variable named cal that represents calories. This is the place to
explain that.
Degree is the percentage of people with a bachelor's degree or higher.
House is the median value of a house divided by one hundred so that it will fit with Degree.

4. What is your claim?

Note: You can have more than one claim - and you probably will. But you need to have at
least one claim that is supported by your analysis of the data in order to be On Target.
As the amount of educated people goes up, so does the value of housing.
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17

Part B: Single Variable Analysis

5. Boxplots and histograms of each variable

 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17

6. Analyze the following for your set of variables independently.

Shape (skewed left, skewed right, Center (mean, median, mode)

uniform, symmetrical, bimodal) Housing: Mean 195.62941176471 Median
Housing: Skewed right. 165.8 Mode 129.1
Degree: Skewed right. Degree: Mean 29.513725490196 Median
28.4 Mode 28.2

Spread (range, IQR, standard deviation) Outliers (for single variables)

Housing: Range 420.1 IQR 101.3 Housing: 475.8, 515.3
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17
87.699865392428 Degree: 54.6
Degree: Range 34 IQR 6.4
5.9980395361806

7. What do these center, shape, spread, outliers, and plot(s) tell you about
the data.?
The percentage of people with degrees in most places is about 30%, and the value of
houses in most places is around $140,000.

Part C: Two-variable Analysis

8. Scatterplot of the data, with linear regression line (line of best fit).
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17

9. a. Equation of the linear regression line (line of best fit).

Note: Replace x and y with the appropriate variable names.
House = 10.8056 degree + -123.283

b. What is the correlation coefficient? How well do your variables correlate (strong,
moderate, weak, none, and negative or positive)?
Moderate positive.

10. A couple of predictions.

Note: Pick your a value for your x-variable and calculate the prediction for the y-variable
using your linear regression equation (from 9a). Show or explain how you did this.
degree = 72
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17
house = 654.720
House = 10.8056 72 - 123.283
House = 654.720

Degree House

1.5 -107.0716

72 654.7232

15 38.804

11. Outliers and Influential Points

Note: Maybe your data set doesnt have any outliers. Say why you think this is true. Maybe
your data set has outliers. If it does, determine whether or not those outliers are
influential, and then explain. (Remember, a single variable could have an outlier while the
scatter plot doesnt, or vice versa.)
Outliers:

District of Columbia, California and Hawaii

All of these areas are very touristy and rich people tend to congregate here.

Part D: Reasoning/Conclusion
Now its time to present the story of the data in a clear way.

12. Provide at least two pieces of evidence & reasoning that support your chosen
claim.

a. First piece of evidence: Regression line.

Reasoning: As the percentage of people with a degree goes up so does the value
of houses in the area.
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17

b. Second piece of evidence: Skew

Reasoning: Because both of the boxplots are skewed the same way they go up at
similar rates.

13. Write a conclusion that supports your claim, and speaks about the evolutionary
significance.

This data shows me that the more educated a population the more money they have to
what they wish with, which increases the value of most things in the area, including houses.
This is similar to the way that the stronger a population is the more food they can gather,
which allows them to grow even stronger. There is a similar feedback loop here, where the
more money someone has the better education they can afford, which in turn gets them
more money to get a better education with.
 Statistics/Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Data Description, Analysis and Evolutionary Significance
T2 2016-17

Standard On Target Above Target Grade

Statistics & Represents data with appropriate Represents the data in a new and
Probability plots for single variables and also for interesting way that addresses a
Representing paired data question of your choosing
& Describing
Data Accurately describes the distributions Demonstrates a deep
of the data being studied understanding of the content
through a thorough analysis of the
Interprets linear model, including the data
correlation coefficient and making
predictions

Science & Explanation is well-written, organized, Explanation makes a claim and

Math and refers to the data and the supports it with an eloquent,
Practices visualization; makes a claim and concise argument based on the
Claim & supports it with evidence, analysis, data visualization and analysis.
Evidence and reasoning.

Heredity Data sets provide a reasonable Explanation of evidence is

and sample size nuanced and support or
Evolution refutation of claim is clear and
Multiple lines Correlation (or lack of correlation) explicit
of evidence between data is explicitly stated and
to support a related to the claim
hypothesis
or inference
Claim is supported or refuted clearly
in biological
by evidence gathered and analyzed
findings