Ahuman zoo was anexhibition that showed people from other cultures. Very often, this was done in similar ways thananimals are shown inzoological gardens today. Most such exhibitions were done between 1870 and 1940. Human zoos attracted many people inEurope. They were often based on the idea ofunilinealism,scientific racism andsocial Darwinism. Unilinealism or unilineal evolution is the idea thatevolution happens only in one direction; some animal will be "at the peak" of evolution. Because of these ideas, some human zoos placedindigenous people (particularlyAfricans) in a continuum somewhere between the great apes and humans of European descent. Ethnographic zoos have since been criticized as highly degrading andracist.
Usually, these exhibitions were made to followstereotypes. These used ideas from racism.
