Final answer:
The human population category historically categorized by supposed biological differences is known as race. However, biological anthropology has disproved the validity of biological races, showing that human genetic diversity cannot be neatly categorized and highlighting that race is more of a social construct with no scientific basis in biology.
Step-by-step explanation:
The human population category whose boundaries were historically assumed to correspond to distinct sets of biological attributes is often referred to as race. Biological anthropology, however, has shown that the concept of biological race in humans is not scientifically valid. Through the study of human diversity, it has been ascertained that the variation within what has historically been categorized as races is greater than the variation between them. Anthropological and genetic research, including sequencing the human genome, has demonstrated that there are no discrete biological categories that can reliably define race. Moreover, the perceived racial categories have led to misdiagnoses and misinterpretations in medicine and other fields.
In terms of genetics and physical traits such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features, all humans vary along spectrums, and traits do not align neatly with the racial groupings. Considering only a handful of genetic markers out of tens of thousands have any effect on these physical characteristics, race as a biological concept fails to capture the genuine complexity and diversity of human populations. Instead, it is recognized that race has been, and continues to be, a powerful social construct with significant implications in society, but it doesn't have the biological basis that was once assumed.