When the theory of recapitulation (the idea that individuals repeat the adult stages of their ancestors during their embryonic and juvenile growth) was being proposed, blacks were deemed inferior by some scientists because they were supposedly retaining juvenile traits.
Eventually, when the theory of neoteny (the idea that humans retain the juvenile traits of their ancestors, not the adult characteristics) came into fashion, the same scientists started to look for evidence to prove how whites retain more juvenile traits than blacks.
Further, it's not hard to argue men are superior to women under the theory of capitulation. It becomes trickier with neoteny since women are more childlike in their anatomy!
Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould
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