Zulu & Andean Indians

Zulu

1. Environment: A majority of the Zulu like in KwaZulu-Natal, which is located on th
   e east coast of South Africa. Due to an abundant of sun, warm climate, humidity, and light rain the surrounding environment is a lush green. Summer falls between September and April with January being the hottest month of the year, even winters are mild, making all year either warm or hot (17 Celsius - 32 Celsius).


2. Physical Adaption: Although their environment is relatively easy to live in and does not cause them to adapt however, because they are from a subtropical area where the sun is always shining their skin is darker (solar radiation stress) compared to those who live where the sun seldom shines who are primarily white. As well, their appears thicker and coarser to that of a white individual due to where they live and how they live their life; doing everything by hand and not being 'properly' clothed to avoid such things.
3. Cultural Adaption: Apartheid is rampant in South Africa which makes it hard for Africans to compete in the job market since they do not qualify (because they cannot be trained properly). In overcoming this they stick to their own tribe and farm vegetables and corn, while the men heard the cattle and because the Zulu's do not try and interfere with the cities they avoid disputes and keep their homeostasis.
4. 
   
   
   Race: The Zulu's are African therefore "black" and dark-skinned African and are "Ethiopians" according to Blumenbach's race splits. Due to the Zulu having dark skin and being from Africa they are classified according to their race and where they are from, which lead to their skin color. Black and Ethiopian best describe the Zulu's because they are dark skinned and from Africa.

Andean Indians

1. Environment: In central and north South America the weather is noted to be extremely unpredictable; from rain to shine to snow to thunder storms within the same several hours is not uncommon. However, Central America has a set dry and wet seasons with a narrow temperature spectrum, with a large spectrum between rainfall anywhere from 0-12 inches in a month (June and October for rain). The Andean regions (Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia) experience nothing but rain and heat with the average temperature being 90-95 F in the day and 68 F at night. Both areas make it hard to establish and maintain homeostasis.
   
   
2. Physical Adaption: Like the Zulu's the Andean's have a da
   rker complexion from the sun from solar radiation stress although they are not as dark as the Zulu they are still darker than their neighbors in North America. As well, because the they live on the Andes their lungs can accommodate more air; their lungs naturally grow larger than someone who was born at or below sea level because they have less oxygen due to being at a higher altitude. Their lungs may be so big that their ribs are larger to accommodate the larger lungs and make the people look large chested.
   
   
3. Cultural Adaptions: Due to being in the mountains the Andean's keep sheep and made wool and textiles were used to create purse like objects to hold items as well as for decorative reasons. With more cloth available then elements they made things instead of relying on the environment like trees to create everyday objects.They also build their homes out of stones rather than plant materials with the lack of vegetation, living in the hills, and needing constant protection from the heat and the rain.
4. Race: According to Blumenbach's race splits the Andean Indians would be placed in the "Malay" category because they are indigenous people in South America. Due to the fact that they are not white and live isolated in the mountains they fit in to this category.
   

Adaption vs. Race:

Speaking of adaptions is a lot easier and more logical, for me, to describe a group of people due to the fact that their race does not describe anything about who they are, what they do, and where they live. Although these tribes races do meet those standards, with immigration you can have all kinds of skin colors living where they do not "naturally" fit. While, adaptions enable you to see how the environment challenges and forces people to change in order to maintain homeostasis. I think that knowing peoples adaptions enables you to understand where that group lives and how they live while race just states what they color they are and where their ancestors lived. Adaption is a lot more useful to anthropologists because it has the ability to explain more than race has the capacity to explain.

Sources:

• http://www.southafrica.com/kwazulu-natal/climate/
• http://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/zulu_tribe.html
• http://www.adventure-life.com/travel_details/weather_links.php
• http://www.highaltitudelife.com/physical.htm