How Environmental Conditions Have Brought About Physical Adaptations of The Zulu and Andean Peoples

Zulu Peoples

 

 

 

Climate:

 

  The Zulu are an African ethnic group that live mainly in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.  The climate is moderate but can have months of high humidity and hot temperatures.  The altitude/elevation is 1025.24m (3363.65ft).  The annual high temperature is 24.77-celsius (76.59-fahrenheit).  The annual low temperature is 19.7-celsius (67.46-fahrenheit.  The average yearly precipitation is 106.56mm (4.2-inches).  The warmest month tends to be February at 28.48-celsius (81.46-fahrenheit), and the coldest month tends to be July at 16.76-celsius (62.17-fahrenheit).  The wettest month tends to be January at 179.69mm (7.07-inches), with the driest tending to be June 35.16mm (1.38-inches).  The average number of days with rainfall tends to be 159.63-days and the average number of days without rainfall tends to be 205.37-days.  Humidity averages at 74.68%.       

 

 

 

Zulu Physical Adaptation Attributes:

 

  I could find very few if any, articles, studies, or research on why the Zulu people have evolved to have the physical attributes we see today.  But by putting on my anthropologist hat, I can deduce that, like most of the peoples of the African continent, the Zulu evolved physically to adapt to an environment that is usually hot and sunny with a higher level of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the service of the planet.  This would explain the dark skin, taller stature, and lean build.  This is necessary to maintain homeostasis by allowing the body to cool more efficiently and negate some negative consequences of high UV exposure.

 

 

 

Zulu Culture in Response to Environment:

 

  Again, I could not find anything specific to why the Zulu people dress as they do.  But once again, putting on my anthropologist hat, I have observed that their clothing attire is minimal.  I would deduce that this is in response to an often hot and humid environment and maybe to better assist in movement during hunting and warfighting.

 

  The Zulu also live in a structure called a rondavel. The rondavel is usually constructed with a conical foundation and peaked thatched roof. It is most commonly made of plastered mud walls and a thatched roof made of grass and other local materials.

 

  A rondavel is built so that it can be loosely clustered around open spaces. This provides ventilation and allows breezes to circulate, providing maximum comfort in a hot and humid environment.

 

 

 

Race:

 

  If I were to describe the Zulu people in the most articulate and scientifically accurate manner, they are part of the Negroid category of humans.  This category also includes, as defined by physical characteristics, Africa, southern India, Malaysia, and Australasia populations.  These physical characteristics include dark skin, tightly curled wooly hair, dark eyes, a broad flat nose, and large teeth.

 

 

 

Andean Indians

 

 

 

Climate:

 

  The climate of the Andes is diverse. Weather varies from region to region but is generally considered a high mountain climate.  The northern region is rainy and warm. The southern region is rainy and cold, and the central region is dry. The mountains play a factor and influence the climate of the surrounding areas.  The highest mountain regions of the Andes have snow covering them 365 days of the year.  Precipitation at altitude usually manifests as snow.

 

  The temperature in the Andes Mountains is varied. It can range from temperate in the valleys to frigid at higher elevations, from 64 degrees in the valleys to 32 degrees in the higher elevations. Temperatures have been known to drop by about 9 to 11 degrees for every 3,300-foot increase in elevation.

 

 

 

Physical Adaptation Attributes:

 

  On the evolutionary timeline of human existence, humans are relatively new to the Andes.  The oldest human remains are only 10,000 to 12,000 years old.  The high altitude makes for a lack of oxygen. At higher altitudes (12,000 feet and above), this brings about physiologically demanding stress that has brought adaptive changes to the bodies of those who live here.  This change even extends to the cellular level.  The people within the Andes Mountain range live at altitudes from 17,100 feet to 19,000 feet.

 

  This would denote that the Andean Indians have evolved adaptations that allow them to more effectively and efficiently handle the stresses on the human body brought on by living at higher altitudes where oxygen is scarcer. These evolutionary adaptations most likely manifest in a higher red blood cell count and lung capacity than those closer to sea level.

 

 

 

Cultural Adaptations:

 

  One of the most interesting cultural adaptations I discovered is the introduction of the cocoa leaf, which comes from the cocoa shrub, into the Andean diet.  This dietary supplementation is more culturally akin to coffee in Western Civilization.  The Andean Indians carry the leaves in a satchel wrapped around their waist or slung over their shoulder. This allows their hands to remain free as they work.  Also on hand is a ceramic jar that contains the mineral lime.  The top of the jar is sealed by a removable cap with an extended adapter that reaches into the lime.  The leaves are first put into the mouth and chewed, then lime is introduced into the person's mouth via the extended ceramic adapter.  Once the lime is introduced into the mouth it activates the alkaloids within the cocoa leaves.  The ingestion of this mixture has a stimulant effect on the central nervous system.  This provides energy, depresses hunger, and provides some essential vitamins.

 

  This cultural adaptation assists the Andean Indians in negating the negative effects of living at such extreme altitudes.

 

 

 

Race:

 

  The Andean Indian falls into the group described as Mongoloid.  Mongoloid also encompasses Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.  Common characteristics of the Mongoloid race are epicanthic folds of the eyelids, shovel-shaped incisors, and neoteny (features such as a large head, a flat face, and relatively short arms.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

Citations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt3qSqPeTmE

https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/cultures/fx20/summary

https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Zulu/606945#:~:text=Traditional%20Zulu%20houses%20are%20small,weaving%2C%20pottery%2C%20and%20beadwork.

https://www.worlddata.info/africa/south-africa/climate-kwazulu-natal.php#:~:text=KwaZulu%2DNatal%20is%20one%20of,water%20temperatures%20of%2023%20degrees

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negroid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_skin

https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_zulu.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_round_hut

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-1-4020-6754-9_7931

https://www.britannica.com/place/Andes-Mountains/The-people

https://www.andeansummits.com/climate-seasons

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2375382/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2375382/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8359892/#:~:text=Mongoloids%20are%20a%20cluster%20of,%2Dshaped%20incisors%2C%20and%20neoteny.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4838786/

https://www.britannica.com/place/Andes-Mountains/The-people

 


 

    

 

 

 








Comments

  1. L RodriguezJune 12, 2024 at 12:06 PM

    Zulu:

    1. Keep in mind that "environment" goes beyond "weather". It includes whether it is forested, savannas or desert. It also includes the amount of solar radiation is received and the altitudes of the local, stresses that are important for explaining adaptations. This applies to your discussion for the environments of both the Zulu and the Andeans.

    2. Physical: You're on track here, but there was lots of information in this week's module on this topic, namely on the "ENVIRONMENT & ADAPTATION BLOG POST RESOURCES" page. Information there explains the whys and hows of the adaptations you list. Skin color is indeed a type of physical adaptation to not just solar radiation but also Vitamin D absorption. Height? Not so much! Long lean body shapes are also adaptations but to *heat* stress (not solar radiation stress), as those shapes allow for more surface area on the skin to release excess heat from the body. Either adaptation would work for this section, but we needed a bit more explanation of this adaptation and how it specifically works.

    3. Cultural: Excellent discussion on the housing structure, particularly noting that it allows for good ventilation in a hot environment. You are correct on the clothing choices as well, but keep in mind that the only reason this can be adaptive is because they have already adapted to solar radiation with higher melanin levels in their skin.

    4. Okay on your choice of race.

    Andeans:

    1. Altitude is an important part of their environment! It shapes a lot of their adaptations and it would have been good to include a more direct discussion of that factor that here, not just in terms of temperature but also the impact on oxygenation issues.

    2. Physical: You take a bit of time to finally get to your adaptations! I appreciate the background explaining the need for these adaptations, but keep in mind that the adaptations themselves were the focus of this prompt. How do having more red blood cells help with high altitude? And lung capacity? Yes, it might seem obvious, but better to no make any assumptions here. Make sure your explanations are complete.

    3. Cultural: Correct on the use of coca leaves, but can you explain more clearly how this helps with high altitude stress? I don't see a direct connection between the two.

    4. I appreciate the explanation of your choice here. It could also be more generally argued that they are part of the race of native American Indians.

    Summary: Missing this final prompt response? Here was the prompt:

    "Summary – Adaptation vs. Race: Looking at your physical and cultural adaptations for both populations, compare them to your choice of race for each population. These are two different approaches to describing population. One looks at adaptations to the environment and the other categorizes the populations based upon outward appearance. Does one way have more explanatory power over the other? Which do you think would be a more useful approach to anthropologists? (10 pts)"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Patrick P.June 12, 2024 at 10:28 PM

    Hi Mike, I wanted to say this is a perfectly cited document back with great writing. Only things that I would criticize is that you did not mention the altitude of the Andes in the environment part of the assignment or that coca leaves were given to people before they died religiously so that they had a better reception to the after life and to make there passing more pleasant.

    ReplyDelete

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