Adaptation

Zulu:

1.The environment in which the Zulu people reside in South Africa is a warm, tropical climate with consistently hot and humid temperatures. Summers run at least 80 degree days with the majority of rainfall occurring during this period. “Winter” temperatures run in the mid 70 degree range. Winter sunshine averages almost 7 hours a day, some of the highest in the country.

2. In response to the constant and inescapable levels of sun exposure, natives to this area demonstrate a physical adaptation that indicates that the melanin levels within their body are significantly higher than that of a society with less sun exposure in their cultural background. This prevents bodily harm from solar radiation, and results in the blackening (even darker than some other cultures who consider themselves of "black" skin) and thickening of the skin. These adaptations act as a more defensive barrier against the harmful rays of the sun.

3.  A cultural adaptation that has developed as a result of the same environmental stress is the prominence of headwear. Hats and headbands may have been originally worn to protect against the heat and harmful rays of the sun, but the Zulu culture has capitalized on this idea, and the intricacy and patterns/colors within headwear now denotes status as well.  Now they can save their heads from sun damage in style!

Andean Indians-

1. The many tribes of Indians now occupying the Andes mountains is widely varied.  The climate is extremely tropical, with high humidity and huge variances in temperature on a daily basis.  The seasons are marked more by differences in the amount of rainfall/snow and degree of humidity than temperature. "On the high, cold plains, known in the Andes as puna, there are only two seasons: summer every day and winter every night."

2. The Andean Indian tribes live in an extremely high altitude, and have adapted to this environmental stress through the development of a higher concentration of hemoglobin, a long term adaptation that allows more oxygen to be carried through the bloodstream to various parts of the body.  This allows the body to function properly even at an altitude that could result in hypoxia for a human who has lived at sea level for all or most of their life.

3. A cultural adaptation to the variance in temperature between daytime and night has resulted in the popularity of layering clothing. Most individuals wear between 3-5 layers of clothing to accommodate the transition in temperature.  Ponchos and beanies are regular garb, and everything is in bright colors to aid in searching for someone who may have been hurt or lost during travel.

4. If I were asked to describe each culture by their race, I would find it very inaccurate.  In my readings, I discovered that the Zulu are not just one but several African societies combined. Due to this, and the pride associated with the name, it seems that there is no other alternative to name their race, except, in fact, "Zulu".   In regard to the Andean Indians, some anthropologists have even noted that they cannot really be classified as tribes because of the large variances in culture and area-how could "Native American" actually be an accurate classification for them, when it is so vague? It gives us an idea of their origin, with no insight into the adaptations they have aquired.

5. The US census changed their standards for race classification in the year 2000. The only group that the Zulu population would fit into is "Black or African American", which are included together, and the Andean Indians into the "American Indian and Alaska Native" category. Such a vague grouping relates only to skin color, not necessarily national origin or culture. Although such a description may give us clues as anthropologists to physical adaptations that have occurred or not occurred within a society, this is a scientifically incomplete factor for analysis. The analysis of physical and cultural adaptations is much more useful from an anthropology standpoint, since "race" or skin-color is inclusive of, and analyzed within these branches.

http://www.upmc.com/health-library/Pages/ADAM.aspx?GenContentId=19510&ProductId=109&ProjectId=2&ReturnUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upmc.com%2Fhealth-library%2FPages%2FADAM.aspx%3FGenContentId%3D000560%26ProjectId%3D1%26ProductId%3D109

http://www.examiner.com/new-age-in-national/shamanism-around-the-world-the-q-ero-of-the-andes

http://www.prb.org/pdf/census2000_usingnewracialprofiles.pdf

http://www.zulu.org.za/index.php?about

http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/aflang/zulu/home.html

http://www.adventurechronicles.net/AdventureChronicles/Home/Entries/2010/3/26_Immersing_in_Culture.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=4w2hiuK1sOsC&pg=PA293&lpg=PA293&dq=zulu+physical+adaptation&source=bl&ots=wlRQfO0BPq&sig=_XR7pdE8e5LEay4o4YzZukoxCLI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=MrOPT9CKBciQiQKo5_C-Aw&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false