Physical and Cultural Adaptations Among the Zulu and Andean Indian People
The Environment of the Zulu Group: The Zulu people is the single largest ethnic group in Southeast Africa, with a populace numbering roughly nine million in the late twentieth century. They are distributed among the regions of Southeast Africa, the Highveld interior, and various territories between the Drakensberg and the Kalahari borderland.
The temperatures of these areas peak in February (≈ 29℃ during the day, ≈ 21℃ during the night) with temperatures experiencing a decline to their lowest values in July (≈ 23℃ during the day, ≈ 11℃ during the night).
The average rainfall of these regions features the most rainy days in December (≈ 11 days on average [a rainy day is defined as any day in which 0.1 mm (0.1 liter) of precipitation per square meter falls]) with a low number of rainy days in June (≈ 2.5 days on average).
The climactic variation of these regions showcase trends of decreasing temperatures in the spring, relatively low but stable temperatures in the winter, increasing temperatures in the fall, and then a continued trend of increasing temperatures into the winter. As for precipitation trends, rainfall follows a similar trend as the temperature trends, differing in that the rainfall peaks in the winter as opposed to the peaks of temperature in the first half of the year.
An Example of a Physical Adaptation Within this Group: The increased melanin production along with the "body type" of Zulu tribesmen promoted the active lifestyle they lived. Zulu tribesmen also tend to be built towards the leaner side, allowing for both more efficient energy use and increased efficiency in managing body temperature. The men of the tribe would take care of and manage the cattle while the women would tend to and care to the crops (maize and sorghum dominating the early 17th century, while other crops were added to the mix in the 18th century) that the cultures would grow.
An Example of a Cultural Adaptation Within this Group: One cultural adaptation showcased in this group is their construction of the Zulu "beehive" huts, which are constructed of an assortment of grass and sapling branches for living in. The materials of these huts promoted relatively low energy consumption for warming their houses because the sun would heat the walls (and thus the inside) of their homes.
Race: If I had to list a race I felt that the Zulu people belonged to, I would choose African. I chose this race/ethnicity for multiple reasons, some of which are as follows:
1. The culture is based in and originates from Southeast Africa
2. The members of their population, when described, fits the description of many Africans today
3. Their history is tied to Africa (again, more specifically Southeast Africa)
Works Cited:
1. Sithole, Jabulani. “Zulu Culture and Cattle Symbolism (Na).” SouthAfrica.net, South African Tourism, 2022, https://www.southafrica.net/na/en/travel/article/zulu-culture-and-cattle-symbolism.
2. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Zulu.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 27 June 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zulu.
3. “Climate: Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa.” Worlddata.info, https://www.worlddata.info/africa/south-africa/climate-kwazulu-natal.php.
The Environment of the Andean Indian Group: The Andean Indian group refers to a group of assorted cultures located around the Andean mountain ranges (It should be noted that when Andean Indians are referred to, it is generally in reference to people either influenced by/a part of the Incan Empire Tawantinsuyu). The Andean region encompasses those in the Andean highlands, along with a portion of Ecuadorian populace.
The temperatures in this area (more specifically the Colombian region of the Andes Mountains) remain relatively stable (day/night temperatures fluctuate on average +- 1 ℃) with temperatures peaking at ≈ 31℃ during the day and reaching peaks of ≈ 22℃ at night.
The Andes Mountain regions feature average rainfall throughout, with the most rainy days in May and October (≈ 15.5 days on average [a rainy day is defined as any day in which 0.1 mm (0.1 liter) of precipitation per square meter falls]) with the regions experiencing a falloff in rainy days in January and February (≈ 7.5 and 7.8 days of rain per month on average, respectively).
The climactic variation in temperature for this region is little to none, with temperatures hovering around ≈ 30℃ during the day and ≈ 22℃ during the night year round. Precipitation trends show increasing growth in spring, relatively stagnant growth in summer, rising and then falling in fall, then finally lowering to the lower floor in winter.
An Example of a Physical Adaptation Within this Group: One physical adaptation that has been discovered in Andean Indian populations is increased cardiovascular resistance. Both the hearts and the lungs of Andean Indian people are advanced to resist the difficult conditions that the elevations of the Andean Mountain ranges inflict upon its inhabitants. Additionally, studies have shown that this populace resists the effects of hypoxia quite well, while also being able to process oxygen at an efficiency much higher than those not adapted to life in the Andes.
An Example of a Cultural Adaptation Within this Group: Some of the most striking examples of a cultural adaptations within the Andean Indian population is prominent in their farming. One great example can be seen in their crop choice. Because of the Andes' abrupt elevation change, a wide variety of foods may be grown in the space available. While maize and manioc served as the mainstay crops for the communities living in lower elevation zones, potatoes and coca were farmed and traded in the highlands.
Another great example of a cultural adaptation among the Andean Indian mountain population was their use of terracing in farming, in which "cuts" were made into mountainsides to provide the most amount of surface area to maximize the farmable land ("untreated" farmable land was very hard to come by due to the nature of the Andes mountains).
Race: If I had to list a race I felt that the Andes Indian people belonged to, I would choose South American Indian. I chose this race/ethnicity for multiple reasons, some of which are as follows:
1. The culture is based in and originates from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia, and they are native Indians from these areas
2. The members of their population, when described, fits the description of many South Americans (again to be more specific, South American Indians) today
3. Their history is tied to (again, more specifically the regions near/around the Andes mountain ranges/Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia)
Works Cited:
1. Scher, Sarahh. “Introduction to Andean Cultures (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, 2022, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-americas/south-america-early/a-beginn/a/introduction-to-andean-cultures-edit.
2. Murra , John V, and The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Andean Peoples.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 Sept. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Andean-peoples.
3. “Climate: Andes in Colombia.” Worlddata.info, 2022, https://www.worlddata.info/america/colombia/climate-andes.php#:~:text=Andes%20is%20one%20of%20the,is%20yearlong%20warm%20or%20hot.
4. “How the People of the Andes Evolved to Live in High Altitudes.” Science, https://www.science.org/content/article/how-people-andes-evolved-live-high-altitudes.
Adaptation vs. Race: I would argue that between adaptation and race, adaptation has more "explanatory power", especially when speaking in terms of anthropologists.
While it would be entirely incorrect to say that race isn't important when it comes to discussions about cultures, I believe adaptations to the environment are more far more "meaningful". I feel this way because while both adaptations to an environment and race are both a result of how the environment affected said culture, adaptations are unique in that they change based on how the culture responds directly to the environment as opposed to only how the environment affected them.
Focusing on adaptations over race opens up routes for what I feel is more "effective" discussion (again, not to say that the latter isn't important, I just feel that the discussion around how an environment affects a population and how said population reacts to those stimuli in response is "closer" to anthropologies "goal" of understanding as opposed to just discussing the effects the environment had on the populace).
Zulu:
ReplyDeleteYou offer a thorough discussion of their environment from a temperature perspective, but there is more to an environment than heat (or cold). What about solar radiation stress?
You offer two very good physical traits, darker skin due to higher melanin content and longer, leaner body shapes. I would have liked more explanation as to how these adaptations work to address the stresses in question. You wander into cultural traits instead. Stay on topic. Additionally, recognize that if you are talking about melanin as an adaptation to solar radiation stress, you should have included this stress in your opening paragraph.
Great discussion on the "beehive huts" of the Zulu as a climatic adaptation.
"African" is a geographical indicator, not a race. Understand that there are MANY different races in Africa, so using the term "African" doesn't help us describe this culture. "Race" is usually described by external phenotypic traits, such as skin color. Perhaps the most logical option would be "black".
Andean:
You focus on the issues of temperature and rainfall in your description of the environment here, but then you go onto identify a physical adaptation to high altitude stress. Shouldn't that have been part of your discussion here, the environmental factor of high altitude?
Yes, Andean populations have adaptations to high altitude stress, but I find it curious that you identify this as "increased cardiovascular resistance". Can you explain that? High altitude stress is described as difficulty taking atmospheric oxygen in low pressure environments and transferring it across the membranes in the lungs to provide the tissues with oxygen. So how do you solve this problem? Some populations actually have genetic adaptations that increase efficiency of oxygen use (like the Nepalese). Others, like the Andean populations, produce more red blood cells (and more hemoglobin) and have evolved larger lung capacities as ways of adapting to lower atmospheric pressure. Explaining this in more detail would have been helpful here.
Yes, terracing is an excellent example of a climatic adaptation to high altitude environments. Well done.
Do we need to include "South American" for race? How about just "indian"?
Summary: Let's start here:
"While it would be entirely incorrect to say that race isn't important when it comes to discussions about cultures"
HOW is race useful? This is an honest question. How is race necessary for discussing and understanding different cultures?
But otherwise, you do well to point out the causal relationship between the environment and adaptations, which helps us to understand the hows and the whys of physical and cultural adaptations. Can we use race the same way to understand cultures?
Race is not based in biology but is a social construct, based in beliefs and preconceptions, and used only to categorize humans into groups based upon external physical features, much like organizing a box of crayons by color. Race does not *cause* adaptations like environmental stress do, and without that causal relationship, you can't use race to explain adaptations. Race has no explanatory value over human variation.
Not sure why this comment posted as "Anonymous". This me. :-)
DeleteHey J,
ReplyDeletethe leaner appearance of the Zulu providing aid with temperature balance sparked my interest. It is a great observation that higher altitudes would, overtime, provoke a lower retention of fat within the body as a method of keeping it free of the additional corporeal heat it provides.