ISOLATE
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1789 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences |
A group of elements sharing some peculiar characteristics and, or relationships within some secluded environment .
This general mode l applies to some archaic human populations (for ex. some former Amerindian groups) or animal or vegetal relics.
Isolates are always in a dangerous position, being very vulnerable to any environmental change , as for ex. the introduction of some new species.
There are also cultural isolates, i.e. very small collectivities that maintain the last vestiges of a culture , or religion (for ex. the Parsis in India), or alanguage (for ex. the Guanches in the Canaries Islands before their overwhelming by Spanish colonists).
In most cases, the members of the isolate are well adapted to their existing surroundings, but at the price of losing their adaptability . This generally leads them to their doom.