Zulus and Andean peoples
1. Environment in which the population lives：
The Zulu are an African ethnic group mainly living in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, which is located between the Indian Ocean in the East and the Drakensberg mountain range in the West.This is an agriculturally fertile region, with summer being a very productive season. The summer season between October and April is warm and rainy, while winter between June and August is relatively cold and dry. Temperatures are moderate, seldom reaching the extremes.
The culture area reaches from what is now southern Ecuador to southern Chile and also encompasses parts of present-day Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. The landscape is dominated by the peaks of the Andes Mountains, some more than 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) high.The weather on the plateau differs less between seasons than it does between day and night. It has hot tropical sunshine during the day but freezing temperatures at night.
Both regions present unique environmental challenges that stress the human body and make maintaining homeostasis difficult
2.Zulu People
Environmental Stress Addressed: High UV Radiation
The Zulu people have dark skin pigmentation, which is an adaptation to the high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in their environment.
Andean Peoples
Environmental Stress Addressed: Hypoxia (Low Oxygen Levels)
Andean peoples have developed increased lung capacity and higher levels of hemoglobin in their blood as an adaptation to the low oxygen levels at high altitudes.
3.
Zulu People :
Lightweight materials in traditional clothing help keep cool in hot weather, preventing overheating.Beadwork conveys social information, strengthening community bonds.
Andean Peoples :
Environmental Stress Addressed is the Altitude Sickness.Chewing coca leaves helps increase oxygen uptake, reduce altitude sickness, and provide energy, aiding in high-altitude living.
4.
Zulu--African
The Zulu people are a Bantu ethnic group predominantly residing in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.They share physical characteristics commonly associated with the Black or African race, such as dark skin pigmentation, which is an adaptation to high UV radiation levels typical in many parts of Africa.
Andean Peoples --Indigenous
The Andean peoples are indigenous inhabitants of the Central Andes in South America, including countries like Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and parts of Argentina and Chile.They are typically characterized by physical features such as darker skin tones, which is an adaptation to high-altitude UV radiation, and body adaptations like increased lung capacity and hemoglobin levels to cope with low oxygen levels.Culturally, they have distinct languages ， traditions, and historical ties to ancient civilizations such as the Incas.
5.The approach focusing on physical and cultural adaptations provides deeper insights into how populations interact with their environment and develop unique cultural practices, making it more useful for understanding human diversity and resilience. Categorizing populations based on outward appearance, such as race, offers a surface-level classification but may not capture the complexity of adaptation and cultural evolution
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Central-Andean-Indians/480490
https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/cultures/fx20/summary
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/314791
https://iris.paho.org/bitstream/handle/10665.2/27520/ev12n3p211.pdf?sequence=1
Zulu:
ReplyDelete1. Okay, but then you go onto discuss an adaptation to solar radiation. Should you have included this environmental stress in your discussion here?
2. Physical: Very good. Just note that skin color pigmentation is not just an adaptation to solar radiation but also influenced by Vitamin D absorption. That's why people in higher latitudes have lighter skin, so that they can absorb the necessary Vitamin D, since melanin partially blocks this.
3. Cultural: Good discussion here.
4. I agree on your conclusion on race.
Andean:
1. Okay here on the environment but since high altitude is such a significant stress to human physiology, I would have liked a bit more attention paid to this specific stress.
2. Physical: Excellent explanation here.
3. Cultural: Good on the coca leaves, but you have an excellent example of a cultural adaptation to high altitude in your picture, namely including the alpaca! They are very good at maneuvering over steep, rocky terrain and make it possible for them to carry goods and even do moderate farming with their help.
4. "Indigenous" isn't a race. It just means people native to an area (it literally means "native"), so that could also apply to the Zulu. Perhaps a more specific option is native American Indians.
Summary: Good summary, particularly the reference to "surface level classification". Race is indeed based upon superficial descriptions.
The question about "explanatory power" is important here and you don't address it. Which approach *explains* each population better? Can you "explain" a population via their race? Or does this only *describe* them? Why is this important to anthropologists?
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.
Hello Simin,
ReplyDeleteWe had very similar adaptations for both the Zulu and Andean people, which was nice to see! However, I did not learn about coca leaves and how they increase oxygen absorption into the blood. I wonder how this was originally discovered by the Andean people, as they likely discovered that hundreds or thousands of years ago, far before we could use modern science laboratories to test that. Additionally, I wonder if coca leaves are native to the Andes mountains or if they were brought there to aid in the lives of the Andean people.