Which theory posits that certain physical features can identify deviant individuals as more primitive?

The correct answer highlights atavisms, a concept rooted in the belief that certain individuals could be identified as deviant or criminal based on physical characteristics that were thought to reflect an evolutionary throwback to a more primitive state. This theory suggests that these physical features are indicative of a person being less socially evolved, linking bodily traits to criminal behavior.

Atavism, as articulated by early criminologists like Cesare Lombroso, implies that individuals exhibiting these traits were more likely to engage in deviant behavior because they were "born criminals." This perspective essentially attempted to connect biological or physical anomalies with societal norms, framing deviance as an inherited trait rather than a result of social or environmental factors.

Other theories like phrenology, which involves analyzing skull shape to infer personality traits or tendencies, and social Darwinism, which applies biological concepts of natural selection to societal development, do not specifically link physical features with deviance in the same manner. Genetic predisposition, while discussing inherited traits, does not inherently imply a connection to primitiveness or deviance based solely on physical characteristics. Thus, atavisms most accurately captures the theory in question.