Final answer:
The concept of 'race' reinforced European prejudices and discrimination, justifying colonial dominance and exploitation during European expansion. Europeans used misinterpretations of scientific theories to rationalize racial hierarchies and justify subjugation of other peoples.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of "race" played a significant role in shaping European ideas of superiority over other peoples during the period of colonial expansion. This transformation reinforced existing prejudices and discrimination (B), as Europeans began associating different races with varying levels of development and worth, often utilising flawed biological theories to justify colonial dominance and exploitation. The Europeans' views of non-European peoples evolved alongside their industrial and scientific advancements, leading to an accentuation of racial hierarchies that justified the subjugation and colonial rule over these societies.
Notably, the adoption of pseudoscientific ideas following Darwin's The Origin of Species, although misinterpreted, led to a sense of European superiority backed by the notion of a 'natural' hierarchical order among races. This ideology facilitated and rationalized the exploitation of people in colonized lands, cementing social structures based on race and class, leading to widespread colonial abuses and genocides.