2003/03/01 by David Zeitlyn, Bruce Connell · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Fractal and DNA sequence analysis
paper · doi:10.1017/s002185370200823x
openalex publication_date 2003/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
This paper explores the notion of fractals – structures that display a similar degree of complexity at whatever scale they may be viewed – in relation to investigating African history. A case study of developing ethnicities in the Mambila region of the Nigeria–Cameroon borderland is presented from a fractal perspective: five levels of the history of this region, covering different time, population and physical scales, as well as different objects of explanation for each, are explored. Our general conclusion is that the different scales, or levels, at which one may view history may contain features or imply generalizations that mask features found in, or generalizations implied by, other levels.