The variation I have chosen for this assignment is heat. Heat is a major environmental stress. Too much heat we die not enough heat we die as well. Humans are not the only things affected by heat either. Everything on the planet is affected by heat. Most of life requires water. Water is under strict scientific rules that it must freeze at 0 degrees Celsius and boil at 100 degrees Celsius. The heat controls the water and the water controls life. If there is not enough heat plants will freeze and die and the food chain will die with it. The same thing happens when it gets too hot. The world is not now and not ever going to be at a constant temperature so being able to adapt to heat changes is crucial to our survival.
The ways in which we adapt to Heat changes are numerous depending on the climate or the necessary change. In a climate that was heating up we have made many adaptations Early in evolution we might have developed bipedalism and body hair defined by adaption’s to heat. Those were developmental adaptations. Different people spread out to inhabit different areas with different climates new traits might be beneficial. Like people in colder climates having blue eyes in response to the weather and it becoming more prominent in those places is cultural adaptations. Sweating is a short term adaptation. Someone in warm climates may develop calluses on their feet. That would be an example of facultative adaptation.
The world is going to get warmer and it’s going to get colder so we must be able to adapt. It is important to study adaptations across all environmental areas. It affects everyone, everywhere. If you look at how other cultures live and protect themselves from the elements it can help you deal with changing conditions. Farmers from a cold region might be able to share ways to deal with farming in cold climates and protecting against things freezing. People from warm weather areas might have tips about sustainable plants that don’t require a lot of water. In the end all of humanity is the same so each unique environment can help in it’s own way.
Very thorough discussion on cold stress.
ReplyDeleteCalluses are not an adaptation to heat but a physiological response to friction on the skin. An example of a facultative adaptation to heat would be vasodilation of the blood vessels to release heat through the skin.
What are some cultural adaptations to heat?
Missing discussion of race as compared to clinal studies.
Heat and/or cold has had a major impact on populations throughout the world. As the temperature rises and water becomes scarce, migrations occur. More primitive humans would attempt to adapt to drier, more arid conditions. Eventually they would not be able to make any more adaptations and be forced to move. More advanced humans would probably use technical means to stay in an area for a longer time as they adapt to the changing environment. One constant about burgeoning human societies is finding abundant water supplies, but often these societies would hold out to the bitter end before picking up their roots. There are some interesting theories about the establishment of the Egyptian Civilization rising out of migration from central Africa that was caused by a shift of the monsoons. Changes in architecture were an adaptation to heat, darkening of the skin over generations protected the populations from the more intense sun. Individuals learned to keep themselves hydrated and clothing evolved in response to the environment. There was not discussion of race in this blog but it is important to note that since there are warm areas in many places race really isn't that much of factor in adaptation. There are so many parallels where different races adapted similarly to hot conditions that causation leans more toward the different types adaptation than being a member of a particular race.
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