The 9 million Zulu-speaking people live mainly in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Some are also scattered throughout the other provinces. KwaZulu-Natal borders on Mozambique in the north, Eastern Cape in the south, the Indian Ocean in the east, and Lesotho in the west. The capital city is Pietermaritzburg. KwaZulu-Natal is semi-fertile with a flat coastal plain, highlands to the west, and numerous rivers and streams. The subtropical climate brings lots of sunshine and brief, intense rain shower.
Even though the area which the Zulu live is subtropical when its not the rainy season the land can become very dry and hot this is where the skin of the Zulu people has adapted to accommodate the heat. The darkness of there skin acts like shade in which it helps the body stay cool from the sunlight. Another physical adaption from the Zulu is their hair which is coarse and and oily which helps them to also stay cool and protect their head from direct sunlight.
The Zulu also adapted culturally,. Because of the climate in which they live there is no need for excessive clothing men and women have their own seperate wardrobe in which it is proper for them to wear.
Today, the everyday clothing of a Zulu is no different from that of any modern urbanite. Traditional clothing, however, is very colorful. Men, women, and children wear beads as accessories. Men wear amabheshu , made of goat or cattle skin, which looks like a waist apron, worn at the back. They decorate their heads with feathers and fur. Men also wear frilly goatskin bands on their arms and legs. Women wear isidwaba , a traditional Zulu black skirt made of goat or cattle skin. If a woman is not married, she may wear only strings of beads to cover the top part of the body. If she is married, she will wear a T-shirt. Zulu only wear their traditional clothes on special occasions, such as Shaka's Day and cultural gatherings.
With the Zulu people I already took on the assumption of them being African/Black mostly because of my heritage and having an understanding why they are of the darker complection and by knowing what area they live in.
In anthropolgy I do not believe that physical or culture adaption is more informative then the other. I think that they both have their own reasoning for being in the study of anthropology and both can help determine where a person is from or their heritage.
Andean Indians
The area in which the Andean Indians live in is situated entirely within the tropics, and the seasons are marked more by differences in precipitation than in temperature. Lowlands tend to be hot, but elevation tempers the climate on some of the islands and along the mountain ranges that run through Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela. Areas of heavy rainfall support dense forest, whereas a few dry regions support little more than sparse grass.
The Andean Indians have addapted physically by, having been born and raised at altitude appears to confer a substantial advantage in highaltitude performance compared with having been born and raised at sea level. A number of characteristics have been postulated to contribute to a high-altitude Andean phenotype; however, the relative contributions of developmental adaptation (within the individual) and genetic adaptation (within the population of which the individual is part) to the acquisition of this phenotype have yet to be resolved. A complex trait is influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors and, in humans, it is inherently very difficult to determine what proportion of the trait is dictated by an individual’s genetic heritage and what proportion develops in response to the environment in which the person is born and raised. Looking for changes in putative adaptations in vertically migrant populations, determining the heritability of putative adaptive traits and genetic association analyses have all been used to evaluate the relative contributions of nurture and nature to theAndean phenotype.
The Andean Indians adapted through culture by domesticating the Alpaca for its hide to use for clothes and blankets to stay warm especially on the frost bitten nights. They also grew maize (corn) which is a very sturdy crop that can grow in almost any climate.
When considering a race for the Andean Indians you would automatically just say indina because of their back ground with the Incas and simply because they are calle Andean "Indians". But just through their skin complection and hair texture I would stick with Indian as their race.
In anthropolgy I do not believe that physical or culture adaption is more informative then the other. I think that they both have their own reasoning for being in the study of anthropology and both can help determine where a person is from or their heritage.
work cited
The use of the alpaca for the highland Andean indians cultural adaptation was a great focus. Their fur is amazingly soft, especially the babies, and are woven to make wonderfully soft clothes and blankets.
ReplyDeleteI was unaware about the benefit of the hair and oils in protecting the heads of the Zulu from the sunlight. I find that very interesting. Many people believe that western culture washes their hair excessively, to the point of damaging the hair follicles. I am not sure if that is true, but it is an interesting comparison.
Good job on the Zulu, on all counts. I have questions on your second paragraph for the Andean populations, but over all, you did well on that too. Your highlighting of the alpaca were well-done.
ReplyDeleteYour summary was supposed to compare the adaptive/anthropological approach (physical and cultural adaptations) with just looking at race. Which approach taught you more about these populations, looking at their adaptations or choosing their race?
What is a "putative adaptation"??? I have concerns about your second paragraph on the Andean population. The paragraph looks a little too much like the text at this link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11581329
Make sure your words are your own. You can include a quote from a source, but you have to put it in quotes and cite it. I would prefer that you put the idea into your own words.
Except for that one section, good job.
yea the alpaca is an excellent choice of live stock to have for the Andean Indians. Big sturdy animal that can with stand cold climates and are bigger than sheep so the hide can make more materials for the Andeans.
ReplyDeleteFor the physical adaptation of the Andean Indians, I wasnt sure how to put that in my own words it was alot to the explanation of how they adapted and it was more scientific on the website and i didnt know how to break that down.
ReplyDeleteWhile I get that, it is a form of plagiarism and doesn't work for assignments. Short quotes (with sources cited after the quote) are fine as a component of your own writing to support your argument.
DeleteWithin the Week 2 Assignments folder there is a link to High Altitude adaptations. Take a look in there for information that is a little easier to digest. It was hoped you would look in there for some of your ideas. :-) Please look that over to get a better idea of what you should have included.
Marcus, I found your blog to be setup exceptionally well. Your pictures presented a great insight into the lives and habitat of the Zulu population. I agree with you in that the darkness of their skin helps to shade it from the sun and is what essentially allowed them to coexist in such a tropical weather that see’s sun rain or shine. In regards to the Andean Indians, their environment appears to be more rigurous as their adaptation was to the high altitude and often harsh weather conditions. To sustain their existence, aclimitization was imperative. How easily they adapt was as you said, determined by being born and raised in a high altitude environment rather than at sea level. Those born at sea level were most likely to have faced difficulty in adapting and possible complications from the effects such altitude can have on your body.
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