DQ June 2nd
What does Behe mean by a structure that is irreducible complex?
One of Behe’s arguments in regards to evolution being an idea of the past and something that needs to be discarded or thrown out, he bring up the concept of irreducible complexity. This idea presents thought that there are organisms that have a series of interacting parts that are so complex that if one part is not present then it is impossible for the organism to function. Therefore making the claim that the organism was creating all at once as a singular piece and that in turn it could not have evolved to state in which it is now. (Bull puckie if you ask me)
Is the mammalian ear irreducibly complex? Why?
The mammalian ear is not a irreducibly complex design because for some time now scientist have been explaining through the use of the fossil record, that the two bones that form the lower jaw of reptiles have evolved within us to serve as a functional part of our inner ear. It is because of this that we can see the functions or features can evolve and changes to meet the needs of these species that share them. This truly is natural selection at its finest.
Behe claims that the eukaryotic cilium as an irreducibly complex structure, arguing that the 9+2 pattern of microtubules is essential for the cilium to beat. Test this hypothesis scientifically.
In order to test this has hypothesis we would have to prove that without the 9+2 cell pattern, the cilium would not beat or function. Then we would not to prove the there are less complex cell pattern that produce the same result like the 9+1 or the 9+0 miller made mention of in the reading, By doing this we would have grounds that Behe’s argument had a great deal of holes.
Explain how blood clotting evolved.
Blood clotting evolved from the different components found in blood and tissue, it is from these components that you can find soluble proteins that when put together have a primitive blood clotting reaction that could dated back to the early invertebrates. This ability shows that this reaction was working within our ancestors and now is working within us. Doolittle (Haha nice name) then goes on to present the idea that it is because of gene duplications that we see this reaction still today. Because of how useful blood clotting is in our survival, natural selection has kept this reaction and also refined it so that is would work more effectively with in each species.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
No Ryhme or Reason!!! Poof ......here's DUMBO!!!!
1.Why does Miller argue that “no science is safe” from attacks by creationists? Give examples of different scientific disciplines that creationists attack?
Miller argues that “no science is safe” from attacks by creationists because in order for the creationists to have strong appeal and grounds for rebuttals they must prove that scientific methods do not work or are false. Creationists have set out to prove wrong many disciplines of science such as astronomy and its fundamental constants, chemistry and its laws of thermodynamics, and geology and the new methods of dating rocks.
2.Why does this mode of attack flourish in our discipline-based approach to education? How can interdisciplinary address the problem? Can interdisciplinary prevent the problem?
This mode of attack flourishes in a discipline based approach to education, because each discipline is separated into its own category where as an interdisciplinary discipline –based approaches bring many aspects of education together making it less vulnerable to attack. So by only attacking one subfield of science, creationists would have a better chance at disproving evolutionary thoughts, hypotheses and theories. Even as they continue to convince the science world that most of what they know and believe is true, but that is really just the subfield of biology has strayed from the truth.
3.How did Gould and Eldredge rock the evolutionary boat in 1972? How can you reconcile their claims with the genetic “switches” you learned about in the NOVA documentary “What Darwin Never Knew”?
Gould and Eldredge rocked the evolutionary boat by going against the normative and predominate views of “modern synthesis” that was well thought of during this time. The idea modern synthesis was the thought that evolution was a gradual process and could be found within the confines of preexisting structures of science. Gould and Eldredget thought ill of this due to the fact the there have to be changes appearing in the fossil record. Gould and Eldredge instead came forth with a new idea called “punctuated equilibrium” which stated that living things live had be maintained in a type of equilibrium for years, and that while in the state the organism would instead undergo brief periods of rapid change. This idea seemed to correspond with the theory of genetic “switches” talked about in the Nova film, because the switches could be identified as a type of rapid growth or change within the organism.
4.Outline Phillip Johnson’s critiques of evolution, and explain why each critique is invalid. Note: you can use this outline as a draft of your Talking to your neighbor essay!
The first critique was that if there was not a complete fossil record, the gaps in the record would make the record irrelevant and not a viable source of data in the evolutionary path of evidence. This argument was not valid, because as we have learned in the class gaps in the record can be made by the mere fact that we have not found a particular species yet or that it was in fact a species that did not preserve well within the fossilization process. The second critique made by Johnson says something to the effect that a genetic mechanism that cannot make the jump in both form and function within a particular species was simple impossible. This is a bunch of poop because scientist can in fact measure the rate of morphological change caused by natural selection in the fossil record.
5.One common claim by advocates of Intelligent Design is that nearly identical elephants appeared in India and Africa, and that special creation is the only way to explain how these geographically disparate species could be so similar. Test this hypothesis as a scientist would. Use figures 4.3 and 4.4 in your discussion.
(Tried to do this question later and ERES would not open for me to look at the figures)Sadly incomplete
6.What are some of the flaws in design that we would have to accept if we believe in Intelligent Design?
The first flaw we would have to embrace would be that the intelligent creator designed each species specifically, which is just not true there are a great deal of species very much alike. Next we would have to believe that every specific species would make its way in the fossil record, lastly we would have believe that ancestry is not real and does not exist.
7.What are the mechanisms of evolutionary change that Johnson and his ilk deny?
They deny such things as a sequence within the fossil record, stating that the scientists are merely imaging things, that in fact the intelligent designer was changing his beautiful and wonderful masterpiece each and every time. (Uh-huh! Rightttt!). They also deny the idea of genetic switches, believe they could not possible cause the jump in form and function.
Miller argues that “no science is safe” from attacks by creationists because in order for the creationists to have strong appeal and grounds for rebuttals they must prove that scientific methods do not work or are false. Creationists have set out to prove wrong many disciplines of science such as astronomy and its fundamental constants, chemistry and its laws of thermodynamics, and geology and the new methods of dating rocks.
2.Why does this mode of attack flourish in our discipline-based approach to education? How can interdisciplinary address the problem? Can interdisciplinary prevent the problem?
This mode of attack flourishes in a discipline based approach to education, because each discipline is separated into its own category where as an interdisciplinary discipline –based approaches bring many aspects of education together making it less vulnerable to attack. So by only attacking one subfield of science, creationists would have a better chance at disproving evolutionary thoughts, hypotheses and theories. Even as they continue to convince the science world that most of what they know and believe is true, but that is really just the subfield of biology has strayed from the truth.
3.How did Gould and Eldredge rock the evolutionary boat in 1972? How can you reconcile their claims with the genetic “switches” you learned about in the NOVA documentary “What Darwin Never Knew”?
Gould and Eldredge rocked the evolutionary boat by going against the normative and predominate views of “modern synthesis” that was well thought of during this time. The idea modern synthesis was the thought that evolution was a gradual process and could be found within the confines of preexisting structures of science. Gould and Eldredget thought ill of this due to the fact the there have to be changes appearing in the fossil record. Gould and Eldredge instead came forth with a new idea called “punctuated equilibrium” which stated that living things live had be maintained in a type of equilibrium for years, and that while in the state the organism would instead undergo brief periods of rapid change. This idea seemed to correspond with the theory of genetic “switches” talked about in the Nova film, because the switches could be identified as a type of rapid growth or change within the organism.
4.Outline Phillip Johnson’s critiques of evolution, and explain why each critique is invalid. Note: you can use this outline as a draft of your Talking to your neighbor essay!
The first critique was that if there was not a complete fossil record, the gaps in the record would make the record irrelevant and not a viable source of data in the evolutionary path of evidence. This argument was not valid, because as we have learned in the class gaps in the record can be made by the mere fact that we have not found a particular species yet or that it was in fact a species that did not preserve well within the fossilization process. The second critique made by Johnson says something to the effect that a genetic mechanism that cannot make the jump in both form and function within a particular species was simple impossible. This is a bunch of poop because scientist can in fact measure the rate of morphological change caused by natural selection in the fossil record.
5.One common claim by advocates of Intelligent Design is that nearly identical elephants appeared in India and Africa, and that special creation is the only way to explain how these geographically disparate species could be so similar. Test this hypothesis as a scientist would. Use figures 4.3 and 4.4 in your discussion.
(Tried to do this question later and ERES would not open for me to look at the figures)Sadly incomplete
6.What are some of the flaws in design that we would have to accept if we believe in Intelligent Design?
The first flaw we would have to embrace would be that the intelligent creator designed each species specifically, which is just not true there are a great deal of species very much alike. Next we would have to believe that every specific species would make its way in the fossil record, lastly we would have believe that ancestry is not real and does not exist.
7.What are the mechanisms of evolutionary change that Johnson and his ilk deny?
They deny such things as a sequence within the fossil record, stating that the scientists are merely imaging things, that in fact the intelligent designer was changing his beautiful and wonderful masterpiece each and every time. (Uh-huh! Rightttt!). They also deny the idea of genetic switches, believe they could not possible cause the jump in form and function.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Facts, laws, theories, and hypotheses OHMY!
1. All four ways of knowing are valid and appropriate in certain situations. Briefly describe a situation that is appropriate for each way of knowing.
• Authority- is when you trust, or believe someone that is the leading expert or specialist on a given topic or subject. Therefore providing a type of given authority in a certain kind of information. An example of this with in my own life can be seen within my martial art instructor, she has been teaching and instructing for over 10 years and has earned the respect and authority within her given art. I can then relay on her knowledge and expertise to teach me.
• Revelation- is when someone receives knowledge, guidance, or information from a being or god from within their faith or beliefs, An example of this within my life is my belief in the New Testament written in the pages of my God inspired bible.
• Logic- is when a person uses the fact in front of them to systematically, break down information into usable understandings or explanations. Though you must note the logic does not carry any reference to the real world. An example of this in my life could be thinking that all sport cars go fast, and saying a car that just not go fast and making the declaration that that car must not be a sports car.
• Science- is when you apply logic, speculation, and facts to the real world. This process many times allows you to eliminate different aspects of your knowledge and build on the most proven facts and truths within a given situation. Science is the by far one of the most refined ways of knowing, but yields a much more powerful, trust worthy outcome. An example of this could be stating the ice is not water, but then subjecting it to different tests and finding it is in fact a different from of water.
2. Distinguish between hypotheses and theories.
Hypotheses- are formed to present a relationship or correlation between things. I once hear them described as very education guesses. A hypothesis is in many ways the starting place for future fact, laws and theories.
Theories- are studies/explanations about the natural world that have been exhaustively studied and many times include and relay on laws, well tested hypothesis, facts, and other influential studies. It many times takes a great deal of work to reach the theory stage within the scientific community.
3. Go back to a previous reading you had in this course. Which hypotheses did you discuss while answering your discussion questions? What theory (ies) did you test?”
Two hypotheses that were focused on within our studies are:
1) Found within the activity for work done on Price and Partner’s case study, If everyone from my high school was to ride the bus instead of drive their own cars, our carbon foot print as a whole would be much less. It tested the CO2 output for all the cars in my school districts high school students, as well as all the CO2 output from the bus it would take to bring them to and from school every day, in the hopes of proving that a bus would be better for the environment then everyone driving their own cars.
2) The second main hypothesis that comes to mind was our most resent hypothesis that stated something along the lines of our human skulls had evolved over time from a chimp like ancestor. The point of this hypothesis was to get us looking at how similar and how different our skulls are to that of chimpanzee and to see if we the homo-sapiens did in fact form from the same lineage of chimps and just change course along the way.
• Authority- is when you trust, or believe someone that is the leading expert or specialist on a given topic or subject. Therefore providing a type of given authority in a certain kind of information. An example of this with in my own life can be seen within my martial art instructor, she has been teaching and instructing for over 10 years and has earned the respect and authority within her given art. I can then relay on her knowledge and expertise to teach me.
• Revelation- is when someone receives knowledge, guidance, or information from a being or god from within their faith or beliefs, An example of this within my life is my belief in the New Testament written in the pages of my God inspired bible.
• Logic- is when a person uses the fact in front of them to systematically, break down information into usable understandings or explanations. Though you must note the logic does not carry any reference to the real world. An example of this in my life could be thinking that all sport cars go fast, and saying a car that just not go fast and making the declaration that that car must not be a sports car.
• Science- is when you apply logic, speculation, and facts to the real world. This process many times allows you to eliminate different aspects of your knowledge and build on the most proven facts and truths within a given situation. Science is the by far one of the most refined ways of knowing, but yields a much more powerful, trust worthy outcome. An example of this could be stating the ice is not water, but then subjecting it to different tests and finding it is in fact a different from of water.
2. Distinguish between hypotheses and theories.
Hypotheses- are formed to present a relationship or correlation between things. I once hear them described as very education guesses. A hypothesis is in many ways the starting place for future fact, laws and theories.
Theories- are studies/explanations about the natural world that have been exhaustively studied and many times include and relay on laws, well tested hypothesis, facts, and other influential studies. It many times takes a great deal of work to reach the theory stage within the scientific community.
3. Go back to a previous reading you had in this course. Which hypotheses did you discuss while answering your discussion questions? What theory (ies) did you test?”
Two hypotheses that were focused on within our studies are:
1) Found within the activity for work done on Price and Partner’s case study, If everyone from my high school was to ride the bus instead of drive their own cars, our carbon foot print as a whole would be much less. It tested the CO2 output for all the cars in my school districts high school students, as well as all the CO2 output from the bus it would take to bring them to and from school every day, in the hopes of proving that a bus would be better for the environment then everyone driving their own cars.
2) The second main hypothesis that comes to mind was our most resent hypothesis that stated something along the lines of our human skulls had evolved over time from a chimp like ancestor. The point of this hypothesis was to get us looking at how similar and how different our skulls are to that of chimpanzee and to see if we the homo-sapiens did in fact form from the same lineage of chimps and just change course along the way.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Here come the Skulls!
Prep- Skull lab
Which skull are you most excited about seeing? Why?
I’m looking forward to seeing the baby chimp skull compared to the skull of a baby human, I have always been curious to see how different our skulls are start before they really have time to grow and develop. Early in the course we learned that the great apes have a great deal of their skull plates closed off by the large jaw muscle that forms through the side holes in their skull, I’m interest to see where on the skull this muscle resides.
Paraphrase the hypothesis that you are testing in this lab.
In this lab we will be testing the hypothesis that our skulls have evolved over time from that of chimpanzee or related ancestor, because of a disturbance/change in the timeline within evolution.
What is standardization? Why is it necessary? How will you standardize the measurements you are taking in this lab?
Standardization is when you use the height to length ratio to measure something instead of it actual size, by doing this you can measure things that change in shape as they get older and change size. This is necessary because without this your ability to measure the same species at different stages of life you need a standardization system. I will take the height and length measurements of both an adult skull and the baby skull to see/study the difference.
Post a picture of an axolotl on your blog; cite your source. Write a caption for the figure, explaining why this is such a cool example of heterochrony. (See Below)
What would we look like if we grew isometrically starting at birth?
We would look like huge babies, Our heads would be very large for our bodies and we would all most likely be pudgy and have smooth skin, LOL and pampers would have to make a much bigger diaper
What is sexual dimorphism?
Sexual dimorphism is when you have two different body structures built into the genes or evolution of a particular species, a good example of this can be seen in apes where the males are a great deal larger than the females because of the males need to fight for dominance in order to gain access to the females during mating. This is not found to as large a degree within the human race.
Give an example of an organism (it doesn’t have to be an animal!) that grows allometrically, but that isn’t discussed in the lab handout. Think of one on your own instead of looking it up on the Internet.
I think that a butterfly could be considered an extreme version of this process, as it is born it comes into the world as a caterpillar only to completely change its bodily form into a butterfly a few days later in its stage of adult hood.
Which skull are you most excited about seeing? Why?
I’m looking forward to seeing the baby chimp skull compared to the skull of a baby human, I have always been curious to see how different our skulls are start before they really have time to grow and develop. Early in the course we learned that the great apes have a great deal of their skull plates closed off by the large jaw muscle that forms through the side holes in their skull, I’m interest to see where on the skull this muscle resides.
Paraphrase the hypothesis that you are testing in this lab.
In this lab we will be testing the hypothesis that our skulls have evolved over time from that of chimpanzee or related ancestor, because of a disturbance/change in the timeline within evolution.
What is standardization? Why is it necessary? How will you standardize the measurements you are taking in this lab?
Standardization is when you use the height to length ratio to measure something instead of it actual size, by doing this you can measure things that change in shape as they get older and change size. This is necessary because without this your ability to measure the same species at different stages of life you need a standardization system. I will take the height and length measurements of both an adult skull and the baby skull to see/study the difference.
Post a picture of an axolotl on your blog; cite your source. Write a caption for the figure, explaining why this is such a cool example of heterochrony. (See Below)
What would we look like if we grew isometrically starting at birth?
We would look like huge babies, Our heads would be very large for our bodies and we would all most likely be pudgy and have smooth skin, LOL and pampers would have to make a much bigger diaper
What is sexual dimorphism?
Sexual dimorphism is when you have two different body structures built into the genes or evolution of a particular species, a good example of this can be seen in apes where the males are a great deal larger than the females because of the males need to fight for dominance in order to gain access to the females during mating. This is not found to as large a degree within the human race.
Give an example of an organism (it doesn’t have to be an animal!) that grows allometrically, but that isn’t discussed in the lab handout. Think of one on your own instead of looking it up on the Internet.
I think that a butterfly could be considered an extreme version of this process, as it is born it comes into the world as a caterpillar only to completely change its bodily form into a butterfly a few days later in its stage of adult hood.
Baby salamanders or are they???
These are pictures of the Axolotl salamander, this salamander is the prefect example of an alternative form of evolutionary change over time. The Axolotl salamander looks like its a baby when really it is a full grown sexual mature adult. Note the cool looking gills, this was once the trait of just the young of their species.
Pictures found at:
http://curiousanimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/axolotl-small.jpg
http://lostangelesblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/axolotl.jpg
Sunday, May 9, 2010
My Carbon Yetti Print!!!
History of Life!!!
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
In this story the authors use a combination of mystery and science fiction writing and storytelling techniques to pull their readers in and present there scientific perspective. It was rather good and interesting.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
My team could very much learn from this type of fictional writing style in the making of and writing of our case study. We already have plays to tell our story in a narrative style story format.
3. Work within you group to decide who completes each activity. (SEE BELOW)
4. How is the case study a model for the one you are writing? What do you want to emulate? What do you want to change?
This case study is great model of the ability to present very complicated scientific perspective in a very laymen and understandable terms for those not schooled in the subject or field of science. I think that we as a group should try to emulate the openness and easy at which to bring about our information and findings within our own stories, while at the same time not making our stories to long. I think I would only change the clarity of the punch line or the ending of the plot, it seemed to hold a bit of confusion.
Activity 4. Your carbon toe print
Claim
Scientists have accumulated enough evidence to conclude that current global climate changes are at least partially anthropogenic.
Learning objectives
Explain how scientists use data from the carbon isotopes in old trees to record the increase in CO¬¬2 that began with the Industrial Revolution.
Find your carbon “toeprint”—the amount of CO2 you emit on your commute to school.
The Industrial Revolution
When houses and factories began using electricity in the mid-19th century, utilities and appliances we often take for granted today quickly replaced kerosene lamps, icehouses, wood stoves, and hard labor. Just a few years later, the gasoline combustion engine reshaped society as cars and trucks changed our landscape. For many, life certainly became easier. But as the decades passed, more coal and oil production was needed to meet the demand for electricity production and our growing fleets of cars, resulting in the rise of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Activity
To get to school, I can take the bus, ride my bike, drive with friends or be dropped off. Best yet, I can drive by myself in my own car. If I can afford my own car and gas, why shouldn’t I enjoy the convenience and privacy on my journey to school every day?
Facts
Passenger cars in the US contribute approximately 645 million tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere each year (EPA 2005). Approximately 2.2 billion tons are added from
electricity use (EPA 2000).
For every gallon of gasoline burned, 19.4 lbs. of CO2 is emitted to the atmosphere
(EPA 2005).
The average miles per gallon for passenger cars in the US is about 22 (US Bureau of Transportation Statistics 2008).
Find your carbon “toeprint”
So many resources that we use today—switching on our computers, driving our cars, recharging our cell phones—draw on power that potentially emits more CO2. Our carbon footprint is an estimate of how much CO2 we use. Let’s look at what might be your carbon toeprint: how much CO2 high school students in your state would emit during their commute to school if they were all to drive themselves.
Record the number of miles 10 students travel to and from school.
Table 4.1 Distance students travel
Student Miles to and from school
1 1
2 3
3 2
4 6
5 1
6 3
7 15
8 4
9 7
10 2
Calculate the average distance traveled.
Average Distance Traveled= 4.4 miles
Multiply this average by the number of high school students in your school district.
4 schools x 1440 students per school = 5760 Approximate students
5760 x 4.4 miles = 25,344
Divide that number by 22 miles per gallon to calculate the average amount of fuel used during this commute.
25,344 / 22 = 1152
Now multiply that by 19.4 lbs of CO2 per gallon emitted into the atmosphere.
1152 x 19.4 = 22348.8 lbs
Multiply by 5 to calculate the pounds of CO2 emitted each week.
22348.8lbs x 5 = 111,744 lbs
How many tons is that? (Hint: there are 2000 lbs in a ton)
55.872 tons of CO2 a week !
Now let’s suppose everyone takes the bus. More CO2 is being emitted than if everyone were walking or riding a bike, so how much CO2 would actually be saved each week? Let’s assume 25 people ride a single bus, and that the bus travels 7 miles per gallon of fuel (American School Bus Council 2008, Laughlin 2004). Calculate the farthest distance traveled.
How many bus trips are necessary?
5760 students / 25 (max. on a bus) = 230.4 trips
How many miles do the buses travel?
15 farthest radius trip from school x 2 round trip = 30 x 230.4 (# of bus trips to get all students) = 6912 miles
Divide that number by 7 mpg to calculate the amount of fuel used by buses.
6912 miles / 7mpg = 987.43 gallons
Now multiply that by 19.4 lbs of CO2 per gallon emitted into the atmosphere.
987.43 gallons x 19.4 = 19,156.14 lbs/g
Multiply by 5 to calculate the pounds of CO2 emitted each week.
19,156.14 x 5 = 95,780.71
How many tons is that? (Hint: there are 2000 lbs in a ton)
47.90 tons a week
How many tons of fuel is saved?
55.87 (car) – 47.90 (bus) = 7.97 tons a week are saved. Still bad, need more bikers and walkers
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a federal laboratory under the auspices of the Department of Energy, reports that a number of school districts are paving the way for reducing the carbon emissions of school buses even more. Strategies include using alternative fuels like natural gas and biodiesel.
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
In this story the authors use a combination of mystery and science fiction writing and storytelling techniques to pull their readers in and present there scientific perspective. It was rather good and interesting.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
My team could very much learn from this type of fictional writing style in the making of and writing of our case study. We already have plays to tell our story in a narrative style story format.
3. Work within you group to decide who completes each activity. (SEE BELOW)
4. How is the case study a model for the one you are writing? What do you want to emulate? What do you want to change?
This case study is great model of the ability to present very complicated scientific perspective in a very laymen and understandable terms for those not schooled in the subject or field of science. I think that we as a group should try to emulate the openness and easy at which to bring about our information and findings within our own stories, while at the same time not making our stories to long. I think I would only change the clarity of the punch line or the ending of the plot, it seemed to hold a bit of confusion.
Activity 4. Your carbon toe print
Claim
Scientists have accumulated enough evidence to conclude that current global climate changes are at least partially anthropogenic.
Learning objectives
Explain how scientists use data from the carbon isotopes in old trees to record the increase in CO¬¬2 that began with the Industrial Revolution.
Find your carbon “toeprint”—the amount of CO2 you emit on your commute to school.
The Industrial Revolution
When houses and factories began using electricity in the mid-19th century, utilities and appliances we often take for granted today quickly replaced kerosene lamps, icehouses, wood stoves, and hard labor. Just a few years later, the gasoline combustion engine reshaped society as cars and trucks changed our landscape. For many, life certainly became easier. But as the decades passed, more coal and oil production was needed to meet the demand for electricity production and our growing fleets of cars, resulting in the rise of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Activity
To get to school, I can take the bus, ride my bike, drive with friends or be dropped off. Best yet, I can drive by myself in my own car. If I can afford my own car and gas, why shouldn’t I enjoy the convenience and privacy on my journey to school every day?
Facts
Passenger cars in the US contribute approximately 645 million tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere each year (EPA 2005). Approximately 2.2 billion tons are added from
electricity use (EPA 2000).
For every gallon of gasoline burned, 19.4 lbs. of CO2 is emitted to the atmosphere
(EPA 2005).
The average miles per gallon for passenger cars in the US is about 22 (US Bureau of Transportation Statistics 2008).
Find your carbon “toeprint”
So many resources that we use today—switching on our computers, driving our cars, recharging our cell phones—draw on power that potentially emits more CO2. Our carbon footprint is an estimate of how much CO2 we use. Let’s look at what might be your carbon toeprint: how much CO2 high school students in your state would emit during their commute to school if they were all to drive themselves.
Record the number of miles 10 students travel to and from school.
Table 4.1 Distance students travel
Student Miles to and from school
1 1
2 3
3 2
4 6
5 1
6 3
7 15
8 4
9 7
10 2
Calculate the average distance traveled.
Average Distance Traveled= 4.4 miles
Multiply this average by the number of high school students in your school district.
4 schools x 1440 students per school = 5760 Approximate students
5760 x 4.4 miles = 25,344
Divide that number by 22 miles per gallon to calculate the average amount of fuel used during this commute.
25,344 / 22 = 1152
Now multiply that by 19.4 lbs of CO2 per gallon emitted into the atmosphere.
1152 x 19.4 = 22348.8 lbs
Multiply by 5 to calculate the pounds of CO2 emitted each week.
22348.8lbs x 5 = 111,744 lbs
How many tons is that? (Hint: there are 2000 lbs in a ton)
55.872 tons of CO2 a week !
Now let’s suppose everyone takes the bus. More CO2 is being emitted than if everyone were walking or riding a bike, so how much CO2 would actually be saved each week? Let’s assume 25 people ride a single bus, and that the bus travels 7 miles per gallon of fuel (American School Bus Council 2008, Laughlin 2004). Calculate the farthest distance traveled.
How many bus trips are necessary?
5760 students / 25 (max. on a bus) = 230.4 trips
How many miles do the buses travel?
15 farthest radius trip from school x 2 round trip = 30 x 230.4 (# of bus trips to get all students) = 6912 miles
Divide that number by 7 mpg to calculate the amount of fuel used by buses.
6912 miles / 7mpg = 987.43 gallons
Now multiply that by 19.4 lbs of CO2 per gallon emitted into the atmosphere.
987.43 gallons x 19.4 = 19,156.14 lbs/g
Multiply by 5 to calculate the pounds of CO2 emitted each week.
19,156.14 x 5 = 95,780.71
How many tons is that? (Hint: there are 2000 lbs in a ton)
47.90 tons a week
How many tons of fuel is saved?
55.87 (car) – 47.90 (bus) = 7.97 tons a week are saved. Still bad, need more bikers and walkers
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a federal laboratory under the auspices of the Department of Energy, reports that a number of school districts are paving the way for reducing the carbon emissions of school buses even more. Strategies include using alternative fuels like natural gas and biodiesel.
Monday, May 3, 2010
When things go bye bye!
Lab handout
1. What is the main point of Signor and Lipps 1982?
Both Signor and Lipps set out to research and explain how several taxa populations disappeared before the hypothesized catastrophic extinction event. Signor and Lipps reviewed the fossil record for specific information regarding the time periods in which these taxa began to decline and found that the mass extinction did not occur until later. The scientists are trying to pull apart the evidence that discusses the hypotheses of a catastrophic extinction and whether or not the theory of such a hypothesis is relevant.
2. What have you learned from the title of this paper?
The title is basically saying that Signor and Lipps’ are trying to find out whether bias in the fossil record research was a critical piece in the arrival of a catastrophic extinction event hypothesis; and whether or not the gradual extinction of several taxa points to another suggestion of a hypothesis about the mass extinction.
3. Explain what the vertical axes mean on all three graphs in Figure 2 of Signor and Lipps 1982.
Figure 2a’s vertical axis is the actual diversity of animals in a certain location. The graph depicts what would occur to the diversity in the population if a catastrophic extinction were to happen. Figure 2b-(ask professor). Figure 2c-(ask professor)
4. What do you think Signor and Lipps mean when they question whether the fossil record is to “be accepted at face value” (291)?
They are implying the fact that if we would like to go on thinking that there was a catastrophic extinction event instead of trudging through the actual evidence and fossil records to prove scientifically that there was actually that sort of event, then we are giving up to easily and there should be more research done in this area.
5. What do Signor and Lipps mean by “random truncation of ranges” (292)?
They explain that a sampling method such as a “random truncation of ranges” is likely to show a trend of gradual extinction because not every event of biotic extinction is recorded in the fossil record, so scientists must use a truncation of ranges to explore the patterns of the specific taxa extinction and they must use the last known record of that taxa to connect the two patterns. The randomness comes along if the last known records are in different sections of time and are random and not in a specific order.
Zimmer 2010, Radiations and extinctions (excerpt)
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
The author uses the hook of the biggest extinction event in history that destroyed over half of the genera on the Earth. This is a good shock factor to get the audience’s attention.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
I could adapt this hook by using it similarly in the opening statements of my case study by explaining the shock factor of the PT extinction.
3. When was the biggest mass extinction in the history of animals? What do we call this extinction event? What caused it?
When: 250 million years ago. Named: KT extinction Cause: Meteor
4. Which species seem to be most robust to extinction? Why?
Marine invertebrates seem most robust to extinction due to the fact that the ocean is so expansive that they would most likely survive a catastrophic event in a smaller range of area.
5. What’s the difference between mass extinctions and background extinctions?
Mass extinctions normally include a lot of genera and are more easily noticed when a large range of fossils are found from the same time period. Background extinctions tend to be smaller scale and usually include less number of genera and records are a bit more difficult to pinpoint the cause of these extinctions.
6. Zimmer warns us that global climate change is one drastic consequence of increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What is the other?
Destroying the world’s rain forests.
7. How could you use Figure 10.15 as a hook for capturing the attention of your audience in the introduction of a case study?
I could use this figure that depicts the rate of extinctions across several million years to explain the shocking evidence that we are potentially headed into another period of mass extinction and the fact that we can learn from our history of these events and try to prevent another catastrophic extinction event from occurring.
1. What is the main point of Signor and Lipps 1982?
Both Signor and Lipps set out to research and explain how several taxa populations disappeared before the hypothesized catastrophic extinction event. Signor and Lipps reviewed the fossil record for specific information regarding the time periods in which these taxa began to decline and found that the mass extinction did not occur until later. The scientists are trying to pull apart the evidence that discusses the hypotheses of a catastrophic extinction and whether or not the theory of such a hypothesis is relevant.
2. What have you learned from the title of this paper?
The title is basically saying that Signor and Lipps’ are trying to find out whether bias in the fossil record research was a critical piece in the arrival of a catastrophic extinction event hypothesis; and whether or not the gradual extinction of several taxa points to another suggestion of a hypothesis about the mass extinction.
3. Explain what the vertical axes mean on all three graphs in Figure 2 of Signor and Lipps 1982.
Figure 2a’s vertical axis is the actual diversity of animals in a certain location. The graph depicts what would occur to the diversity in the population if a catastrophic extinction were to happen. Figure 2b-(ask professor). Figure 2c-(ask professor)
4. What do you think Signor and Lipps mean when they question whether the fossil record is to “be accepted at face value” (291)?
They are implying the fact that if we would like to go on thinking that there was a catastrophic extinction event instead of trudging through the actual evidence and fossil records to prove scientifically that there was actually that sort of event, then we are giving up to easily and there should be more research done in this area.
5. What do Signor and Lipps mean by “random truncation of ranges” (292)?
They explain that a sampling method such as a “random truncation of ranges” is likely to show a trend of gradual extinction because not every event of biotic extinction is recorded in the fossil record, so scientists must use a truncation of ranges to explore the patterns of the specific taxa extinction and they must use the last known record of that taxa to connect the two patterns. The randomness comes along if the last known records are in different sections of time and are random and not in a specific order.
Zimmer 2010, Radiations and extinctions (excerpt)
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
The author uses the hook of the biggest extinction event in history that destroyed over half of the genera on the Earth. This is a good shock factor to get the audience’s attention.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
I could adapt this hook by using it similarly in the opening statements of my case study by explaining the shock factor of the PT extinction.
3. When was the biggest mass extinction in the history of animals? What do we call this extinction event? What caused it?
When: 250 million years ago. Named: KT extinction Cause: Meteor
4. Which species seem to be most robust to extinction? Why?
Marine invertebrates seem most robust to extinction due to the fact that the ocean is so expansive that they would most likely survive a catastrophic event in a smaller range of area.
5. What’s the difference between mass extinctions and background extinctions?
Mass extinctions normally include a lot of genera and are more easily noticed when a large range of fossils are found from the same time period. Background extinctions tend to be smaller scale and usually include less number of genera and records are a bit more difficult to pinpoint the cause of these extinctions.
6. Zimmer warns us that global climate change is one drastic consequence of increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What is the other?
Destroying the world’s rain forests.
7. How could you use Figure 10.15 as a hook for capturing the attention of your audience in the introduction of a case study?
I could use this figure that depicts the rate of extinctions across several million years to explain the shocking evidence that we are potentially headed into another period of mass extinction and the fact that we can learn from our history of these events and try to prevent another catastrophic extinction event from occurring.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
History of life the sci-fi novel!
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/alien/alien_evolution.html
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
Shoshana Tobias the author uses a well written science fiction story to set up a small glimpse into a huge problem /mystery. He provides you with the story of a future scientist seeking to find out why a planetary colony just up and left. This was a great use of imagination and evolutionary theory and fact, it captures your curiosity.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This would be a fantastic style of hook to pull my readers into the story of how the extinction of the dinosaurs could have taken place. The method I’m introducing it the huge meteor that hit the earth and force the dinosaurs to extinction in one fell swoop.
3. Answer the questions at the end of Part I and Part II of this case study.
Part 1
1) What was the late Pre-Cambrian environment like on Earth?
In the late pre-cambrian environment there was a very low amount of oxygen, That soon rapidly changed with the new introduction of abundant plants due to the plants ability to provide a great deal of oxygen production, it is because of this rapid change that new multi-cellular life formed.
2) What were the Ediacaran organisms like and how were they adapted to their environment?
The Ediacaran were soft bodied multi-cellular organisms that lived in the oceans and other bodies of water, they did not have shells like their future ancestors did.
3) How is Earth’s Pre-cambrain similar to P-L5’s initial environment and organisms?
In both the pre-cambrain stage of evolution on Earth and the evolution on P-L5, we can see the rapid introduction of oxygen to the atmosphere as well as the existence of soft bodied organisms in the water. Both environments seem to be on very similar evolutionary paths though P-L5 could be doing it in a more pronounced and faster time line.
4) What was the “Cambrian Explosion”?
The Cambrian explosion was a period in time when earth’s environment underwent a rapid change, there was an explosion of multi-cellular organisms that covered and diversified life on earth. Before this time there was little more than unicellular organisms. This was also when the first sexual reproduction and complex life forms came into existence. (Woohoo!!, organisms started getting it on, this is when the real fun began.)
5) How did the environment and organisms change and adapt during the “Cambrian Explosion”?
The environment and the life within those environments adapted quickly, the environment we being now filled with oxygen at a very fast rate perhaps starting a Ozone layer, and the organisms started to grow in numbers and complexity. The sexual activity was fast and the adaptation and mutation to life followed that trend.
6) What causes lead into the “Cambrian Explosion”?
The causes that lead to the “Cambrian Explosion” are as follows:
-More oxygen in the atmosphere making it easier for organisms to grow and develop.
-Sexual reproduction caused complexity to take place in life, thus making way for rapid adaptations and population growth.
7) Could any of those Earth conditions have been mimicked on P-L5? How?
Yes, I believe that a great deal of these things happen on the P-L5 planet, Jay the researcher made note of the fact that the planet had received a great deal of oxygen in preparation of the new inhabitants thus providing a very similar atmosphere to that of a forming earth, next he goes on to discover both sketches of a soft bodied organism much like the first ones known to form here on earth. Finally we can start to see the rapid evolutionary change happening in the soft bodied organism with the new hard bodied organism (more complex).
8) Assuming that this alien planet was going through an Alien “Cambrian Explosion” that mimicked Earth, what do you think will happen next?
In the case that P-L5 is in fact having its own “Explosion” then there will start to be a abundant amount of new complex sea life, that will in the years to come become land animals as well.
Part 2
1) How were the Ediacaran organisms adapted for their environment?
They were soft bodied multi-cellular organisms, they adapted by growing a hard shell and craws thus gaining greater protection and mobility.
2) What major changes were occurring in the environment around the time of the “Cambrian Explosion”?
-Atmospheric oxygen
-the glaciers began to melt and deposit sediment rich in nutrients. (Some of the building blocks for the rapid complexity)
-Sexuality formed (paving the way for biodiversity)
3) Which of these changes were affected by the organisms themselves; which were purely geological trends?
The increase in oxygen levels can be traced to the cyanobacteria, but the glacial deposits can be seen as solely a geographical trend happening around the time of the explosion.
4) On P-L5, humans changed the environments in the ways mimicking the forces on early Earth. Do you really think that “Earth-like” animals would have evolved again? Why or Why Not?
Yes, I believe that this could very easily happen again if given the same environment, It kind of goes on the thought that we can many times replicate the same exact result to a experiment if we do everything the same. The only part that I’m not sure about it the pace in which the changes to the planet had been happening.
5) Assuming that this planet was undergoing an “Alien Explosion” similar to the “Cambrian Explosion” on Earth, what would you expect to evolve next?
Well according to the now known history of life the next step would be complex sea life, including some very large predators. From there we would see these sea creatures make their way onto land and start on their way to becoming complex dinosaur like animals. (Big legs little arms)
6) Is the planet safe for colonization? Why or Why not?
Taking that one day they will be confronted with animals bent on eating everything in sight it might be a good plan to find somewhere else to live, but if they would want to build up some defenses and compounds then I think it would be a fantastic place to live. Can you image being able to watch the earth’s history happen in real time. SOOOOO COOL!!!
Info taken from:
The Divisions of Precambrian Time
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/precambrian/precambrian.html
Life of the Vendian
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/vendianlife.html
Learning About the Vendian Animals
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/critters.html
Zimmer 2010, Lighting the Cambrian fuse
1.What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
This author like many other uses a introduction to the historically famous scientist Charles Darwin, Because of his work in the theory of evolution it can draw people into seeing what if anything has been proven different or the same as his works.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
I believe this hook could only really be useful to me if I was to first find some of his work that I could agree with or disagree with. Due to the nature of my topic and it information only really becoming clear in the last hundred years or so I’m not sure Darwin would of had much information to theorize with.
3. Compare Zimmer’s hook to the one Tobias used in “Alien Explosion” in a table. Both hooks are useful
I would prefer Tobias hook, just because it causes you to think and theorize on your own before being presented with any kind of information and then once you are given the information you can see how it all fits within the story you have just embarked on with the writer.
4. What is a phylogeny? (You’ll probably have to look the word up on the internet)
A phylogeny is the evolutionary development of a particular group of organisms or the higher taxonomic grouping, sometimes in a family tree. (dictionary.com)
5. Over what time frame did the Cambrian Explosion occur?
510 -580 million years ago.
6. Why was the Cambrian Explosion so remarkable?
It was remarkable because it was a time of extremely rapid evolution, life and over all complexity. The rate of diversification and populations growth was unlike anything that has ever taken place on earth since.
7. Outline some of the triggers that might have led to the Cambrian Explosion.
-increase atmospheric oxygen
-ocean’s chemistry changed
-soft bodied organisms started mating
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
Shoshana Tobias the author uses a well written science fiction story to set up a small glimpse into a huge problem /mystery. He provides you with the story of a future scientist seeking to find out why a planetary colony just up and left. This was a great use of imagination and evolutionary theory and fact, it captures your curiosity.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This would be a fantastic style of hook to pull my readers into the story of how the extinction of the dinosaurs could have taken place. The method I’m introducing it the huge meteor that hit the earth and force the dinosaurs to extinction in one fell swoop.
3. Answer the questions at the end of Part I and Part II of this case study.
Part 1
1) What was the late Pre-Cambrian environment like on Earth?
In the late pre-cambrian environment there was a very low amount of oxygen, That soon rapidly changed with the new introduction of abundant plants due to the plants ability to provide a great deal of oxygen production, it is because of this rapid change that new multi-cellular life formed.
2) What were the Ediacaran organisms like and how were they adapted to their environment?
The Ediacaran were soft bodied multi-cellular organisms that lived in the oceans and other bodies of water, they did not have shells like their future ancestors did.
3) How is Earth’s Pre-cambrain similar to P-L5’s initial environment and organisms?
In both the pre-cambrain stage of evolution on Earth and the evolution on P-L5, we can see the rapid introduction of oxygen to the atmosphere as well as the existence of soft bodied organisms in the water. Both environments seem to be on very similar evolutionary paths though P-L5 could be doing it in a more pronounced and faster time line.
4) What was the “Cambrian Explosion”?
The Cambrian explosion was a period in time when earth’s environment underwent a rapid change, there was an explosion of multi-cellular organisms that covered and diversified life on earth. Before this time there was little more than unicellular organisms. This was also when the first sexual reproduction and complex life forms came into existence. (Woohoo!!, organisms started getting it on, this is when the real fun began.)
5) How did the environment and organisms change and adapt during the “Cambrian Explosion”?
The environment and the life within those environments adapted quickly, the environment we being now filled with oxygen at a very fast rate perhaps starting a Ozone layer, and the organisms started to grow in numbers and complexity. The sexual activity was fast and the adaptation and mutation to life followed that trend.
6) What causes lead into the “Cambrian Explosion”?
The causes that lead to the “Cambrian Explosion” are as follows:
-More oxygen in the atmosphere making it easier for organisms to grow and develop.
-Sexual reproduction caused complexity to take place in life, thus making way for rapid adaptations and population growth.
7) Could any of those Earth conditions have been mimicked on P-L5? How?
Yes, I believe that a great deal of these things happen on the P-L5 planet, Jay the researcher made note of the fact that the planet had received a great deal of oxygen in preparation of the new inhabitants thus providing a very similar atmosphere to that of a forming earth, next he goes on to discover both sketches of a soft bodied organism much like the first ones known to form here on earth. Finally we can start to see the rapid evolutionary change happening in the soft bodied organism with the new hard bodied organism (more complex).
8) Assuming that this alien planet was going through an Alien “Cambrian Explosion” that mimicked Earth, what do you think will happen next?
In the case that P-L5 is in fact having its own “Explosion” then there will start to be a abundant amount of new complex sea life, that will in the years to come become land animals as well.
Part 2
1) How were the Ediacaran organisms adapted for their environment?
They were soft bodied multi-cellular organisms, they adapted by growing a hard shell and craws thus gaining greater protection and mobility.
2) What major changes were occurring in the environment around the time of the “Cambrian Explosion”?
-Atmospheric oxygen
-the glaciers began to melt and deposit sediment rich in nutrients. (Some of the building blocks for the rapid complexity)
-Sexuality formed (paving the way for biodiversity)
3) Which of these changes were affected by the organisms themselves; which were purely geological trends?
The increase in oxygen levels can be traced to the cyanobacteria, but the glacial deposits can be seen as solely a geographical trend happening around the time of the explosion.
4) On P-L5, humans changed the environments in the ways mimicking the forces on early Earth. Do you really think that “Earth-like” animals would have evolved again? Why or Why Not?
Yes, I believe that this could very easily happen again if given the same environment, It kind of goes on the thought that we can many times replicate the same exact result to a experiment if we do everything the same. The only part that I’m not sure about it the pace in which the changes to the planet had been happening.
5) Assuming that this planet was undergoing an “Alien Explosion” similar to the “Cambrian Explosion” on Earth, what would you expect to evolve next?
Well according to the now known history of life the next step would be complex sea life, including some very large predators. From there we would see these sea creatures make their way onto land and start on their way to becoming complex dinosaur like animals. (Big legs little arms)
6) Is the planet safe for colonization? Why or Why not?
Taking that one day they will be confronted with animals bent on eating everything in sight it might be a good plan to find somewhere else to live, but if they would want to build up some defenses and compounds then I think it would be a fantastic place to live. Can you image being able to watch the earth’s history happen in real time. SOOOOO COOL!!!
Info taken from:
The Divisions of Precambrian Time
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/precambrian/precambrian.html
Life of the Vendian
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/vendianlife.html
Learning About the Vendian Animals
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/critters.html
Zimmer 2010, Lighting the Cambrian fuse
1.What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
This author like many other uses a introduction to the historically famous scientist Charles Darwin, Because of his work in the theory of evolution it can draw people into seeing what if anything has been proven different or the same as his works.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
I believe this hook could only really be useful to me if I was to first find some of his work that I could agree with or disagree with. Due to the nature of my topic and it information only really becoming clear in the last hundred years or so I’m not sure Darwin would of had much information to theorize with.
3. Compare Zimmer’s hook to the one Tobias used in “Alien Explosion” in a table. Both hooks are useful
I would prefer Tobias hook, just because it causes you to think and theorize on your own before being presented with any kind of information and then once you are given the information you can see how it all fits within the story you have just embarked on with the writer.
4. What is a phylogeny? (You’ll probably have to look the word up on the internet)
A phylogeny is the evolutionary development of a particular group of organisms or the higher taxonomic grouping, sometimes in a family tree. (dictionary.com)
5. Over what time frame did the Cambrian Explosion occur?
510 -580 million years ago.
6. Why was the Cambrian Explosion so remarkable?
It was remarkable because it was a time of extremely rapid evolution, life and over all complexity. The rate of diversification and populations growth was unlike anything that has ever taken place on earth since.
7. Outline some of the triggers that might have led to the Cambrian Explosion.
-increase atmospheric oxygen
-ocean’s chemistry changed
-soft bodied organisms started mating
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Who thought a sun tan could feed the world! :)
Leslie
1.What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
I feel that the author (Mitch Leslie) uses the fact that the world as we know it would not exist if it where not for the process of photosynthesis. By bring light the this incredible truth he is then able to explain the process in depth and with a contextual understanding of how this historical past directly effects us now. He also makes the point that photosynthesis could be one of the last monumental natural inventions in our environment still today. (Leslie, 2009)
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
I believe that I could adapt this information and hook to my case study by providing the evidence on how this earth became livable for the first signs of life which then made way for the first dinosaurs.
3. Let’s start with the basics. What’s photosynthesis?
The process of Photosynthesis provides plants with the needed sugars to grow and reproduce. The process first starts with water and carbon-dioxide coming together, these components along with chlorophyll become electrically charged to make a sugar while at the same time releasing oxygen as a by produce of this process. So the plants grow bigger and the planet receives valuable oxygen supplies.
4. How does photosynthesis make the Earth livable for our ecosystem?
The process of photosynthesis provides the needed oxygen gas to create and maintain a o-zone layer providing the much needed protection from the sun’s ultra-violet rays, With out an o-zone layer the surface of the earth would grow to hot for any life to live. Another reason way photosynthesis is so needed is because it’s at the bottom of the food chain, if there were no plants then there would be NO food period. Thus it is a much for life to be present as we now it today.
5.What chemical was the basis of the earliest photosynthesizing microbes? Of most
Photosynthesizing organisms alive today?
The suspected earliest chemical was RuBisCO, this enzyme eats Carbon-dioxide and turns it into sugars. Most oxygen producing photosynthesis now eats carbon 12 and water.
6.What role does chlorophyll play in photosynthesis?
The chlorophyll’s role in photosynthesis is to absorb sun light and then lend its energy to the production of electrons; with out chlorophyll photosynthesis will not occur.
7.What was the great oxidation event? How do we recognize it in the fossil record?
The great oxidation event was when photosystem I and photosystem II came together to form the now common photosynthesis, The photosystem II has the ability to ripe the oxygen away from water molecules during its process, thus providing the earth with a study flow of oxygen. This is seen in the fossil records when scientist discover areas of fossil with a lower carbon 13 contain, showing that oxygenation had take place millions of years ago.
Zimmer
1.What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
Zimmer like many other times in this writing uses a unrealistic truth about our true origins and similarities to those species around us that seem to be nothing like us. In this case he uses the example of how much our cells are alike those of a toadstool.
2.How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This hook perhaps does not offer a direct correlation to my case study but does cause me to think about what ways I could cleverly tie our own existence to the dinosaurs and then the K-T extinction.
3.What are eukaryotes?
Eukaryotes are a group of species’ that have cells that carry a nucleus in the middle of them, and with in the nucleus there are large bundles of DNA.
4.What are mitochondria? How did they evolve?
Mitochondria are the pockets (Cells structure), or storage parts with in a cell that stores fuel for the cell to grow and reproduce. They evolved from the original bacterial passengers with in a cell.
5.What is the “hydrogen hypothesis”?
This hypothesis goes on to say something of the fact that two different cell types came together to form the first eukaryotes.
6.Briefly compare the three domain hypothesis to the eocyte hypothesis.
Do not Understand this…..Equals very frustrated!!! I will seek professors helps.
Sources
-Leslie, M. (2009, March 6th). On the origins of photosynthesis. Sciencemag, 323, Retrieved from www.sciencemag.org
- Zimmer, C. (2009, August 7th). On the origins of eukaryotes. Sciencemag, 325, Retrieved from www.sciencemag.org
1.What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
I feel that the author (Mitch Leslie) uses the fact that the world as we know it would not exist if it where not for the process of photosynthesis. By bring light the this incredible truth he is then able to explain the process in depth and with a contextual understanding of how this historical past directly effects us now. He also makes the point that photosynthesis could be one of the last monumental natural inventions in our environment still today. (Leslie, 2009)
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
I believe that I could adapt this information and hook to my case study by providing the evidence on how this earth became livable for the first signs of life which then made way for the first dinosaurs.
3. Let’s start with the basics. What’s photosynthesis?
The process of Photosynthesis provides plants with the needed sugars to grow and reproduce. The process first starts with water and carbon-dioxide coming together, these components along with chlorophyll become electrically charged to make a sugar while at the same time releasing oxygen as a by produce of this process. So the plants grow bigger and the planet receives valuable oxygen supplies.
4. How does photosynthesis make the Earth livable for our ecosystem?
The process of photosynthesis provides the needed oxygen gas to create and maintain a o-zone layer providing the much needed protection from the sun’s ultra-violet rays, With out an o-zone layer the surface of the earth would grow to hot for any life to live. Another reason way photosynthesis is so needed is because it’s at the bottom of the food chain, if there were no plants then there would be NO food period. Thus it is a much for life to be present as we now it today.
5.What chemical was the basis of the earliest photosynthesizing microbes? Of most
Photosynthesizing organisms alive today?
The suspected earliest chemical was RuBisCO, this enzyme eats Carbon-dioxide and turns it into sugars. Most oxygen producing photosynthesis now eats carbon 12 and water.
6.What role does chlorophyll play in photosynthesis?
The chlorophyll’s role in photosynthesis is to absorb sun light and then lend its energy to the production of electrons; with out chlorophyll photosynthesis will not occur.
7.What was the great oxidation event? How do we recognize it in the fossil record?
The great oxidation event was when photosystem I and photosystem II came together to form the now common photosynthesis, The photosystem II has the ability to ripe the oxygen away from water molecules during its process, thus providing the earth with a study flow of oxygen. This is seen in the fossil records when scientist discover areas of fossil with a lower carbon 13 contain, showing that oxygenation had take place millions of years ago.
Zimmer
1.What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
Zimmer like many other times in this writing uses a unrealistic truth about our true origins and similarities to those species around us that seem to be nothing like us. In this case he uses the example of how much our cells are alike those of a toadstool.
2.How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This hook perhaps does not offer a direct correlation to my case study but does cause me to think about what ways I could cleverly tie our own existence to the dinosaurs and then the K-T extinction.
3.What are eukaryotes?
Eukaryotes are a group of species’ that have cells that carry a nucleus in the middle of them, and with in the nucleus there are large bundles of DNA.
4.What are mitochondria? How did they evolve?
Mitochondria are the pockets (Cells structure), or storage parts with in a cell that stores fuel for the cell to grow and reproduce. They evolved from the original bacterial passengers with in a cell.
5.What is the “hydrogen hypothesis”?
This hypothesis goes on to say something of the fact that two different cell types came together to form the first eukaryotes.
6.Briefly compare the three domain hypothesis to the eocyte hypothesis.
Do not Understand this…..Equals very frustrated!!! I will seek professors helps.
Sources
-Leslie, M. (2009, March 6th). On the origins of photosynthesis. Sciencemag, 323, Retrieved from www.sciencemag.org
- Zimmer, C. (2009, August 7th). On the origins of eukaryotes. Sciencemag, 325, Retrieved from www.sciencemag.org
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
RadioMetric Dating for dummies!
1. What is the different between 12C, 13C and 14C? Which is the most unstable? What is the half-life of 14C?
The difference between 12C, 13C and 14C is the number of neutrons each carbon atom contains, 12c holds 6 protons and 6 neutrons, 13C contains 6 protons and 7 neutrons, and lastly 14C has 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Carbon 14 would be the most unstable due to the fact that the atom will have to break down twice before it becomes a stable 12C atom. The half life of 14C is 5,730 years.
2. What are some other radiometric decay systems (besides carbon-14) that are useful for determining the ages of evens in Earth’s history?
There are three other radiometric isotopes that could help to determine the ages of rocks and minerals within the earth. The first is rubidium, then as rubidium breaks down it become strontium these two can provide a good source of radioactive dating. Another isotope is the ever classic uranium which breaks down into its stable form over many millions or in some cases billions of years. All three provide a type of scale that can be used.
3. Why don’t stable elements have half-lives?
Stable elements do not have half-lives because they have no need to break down, Atoms that have different amounts of protons and neutrons are always trying to get to a stable equal element therefore they have to break down to get there, this act of breaking down has a amount of time connected to the process, thus you have the half-live of that break down time.
4. Write a short dialogue between you and a 12-year old friend explaining Figure 3.1
Child: What is this picture Uncle Joshua? Me: Well Timmy in this picture scientists are trying to explain how they can use the breakdown of minerals inside a rock to tell how old it is. The scientists know that when the rock is formed there can be no added source of the radioactive mineral added so they can then measure the breakdown of the atoms/ isotopes that exist inside the rock. Child: What do the Dots mean in the middle of the rock? ME: The dots in the middle of the rock highlight sections in a counterclockwise in which the scientists can watch and measure the breaking down of the atoms. Child: Oh cool, so they can find out how old dinosaurs are just by looking at the rocks around a fossil? Child: Yes, Timmy that is the idea. Child: That’s what I want to do when I grow up! ME: Tell your parents to start saving for your college education now!
5. How do we calculate the absolute of fossils?
Scientist calculates the ages of the ash layers around, above, and below a given fossil to get an accurate estimate the age of that given fossil.
Source:
Zimmer, C. (2010). The Tangled bank: an introduction to evolution. Greenwood village, CO, USA: Roberts and company publishers.
The difference between 12C, 13C and 14C is the number of neutrons each carbon atom contains, 12c holds 6 protons and 6 neutrons, 13C contains 6 protons and 7 neutrons, and lastly 14C has 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Carbon 14 would be the most unstable due to the fact that the atom will have to break down twice before it becomes a stable 12C atom. The half life of 14C is 5,730 years.
2. What are some other radiometric decay systems (besides carbon-14) that are useful for determining the ages of evens in Earth’s history?
There are three other radiometric isotopes that could help to determine the ages of rocks and minerals within the earth. The first is rubidium, then as rubidium breaks down it become strontium these two can provide a good source of radioactive dating. Another isotope is the ever classic uranium which breaks down into its stable form over many millions or in some cases billions of years. All three provide a type of scale that can be used.
3. Why don’t stable elements have half-lives?
Stable elements do not have half-lives because they have no need to break down, Atoms that have different amounts of protons and neutrons are always trying to get to a stable equal element therefore they have to break down to get there, this act of breaking down has a amount of time connected to the process, thus you have the half-live of that break down time.
4. Write a short dialogue between you and a 12-year old friend explaining Figure 3.1
Child: What is this picture Uncle Joshua? Me: Well Timmy in this picture scientists are trying to explain how they can use the breakdown of minerals inside a rock to tell how old it is. The scientists know that when the rock is formed there can be no added source of the radioactive mineral added so they can then measure the breakdown of the atoms/ isotopes that exist inside the rock. Child: What do the Dots mean in the middle of the rock? ME: The dots in the middle of the rock highlight sections in a counterclockwise in which the scientists can watch and measure the breaking down of the atoms. Child: Oh cool, so they can find out how old dinosaurs are just by looking at the rocks around a fossil? Child: Yes, Timmy that is the idea. Child: That’s what I want to do when I grow up! ME: Tell your parents to start saving for your college education now!
5. How do we calculate the absolute of fossils?
Scientist calculates the ages of the ash layers around, above, and below a given fossil to get an accurate estimate the age of that given fossil.
Source:
Zimmer, C. (2010). The Tangled bank: an introduction to evolution. Greenwood village, CO, USA: Roberts and company publishers.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Polar Evolution!
Polar Bear Jaw bone fossil discovery
What makes this discovery exciting?
The Polar Bear jaw bone discovery is exciting for a couple different reasons, when taking a closer look at the newly discovered bone scientists where able to date the bone to nearly 130,000 years ago This date makes it the oldest sample the scientific community has of the first Polar Bears on our planet, scientists had not been able to place them very well within a time line ranging from 70,000-1 million years old (understanding evolution, 2010). According to the article, upon more investigation the scientist working with the fossil were able to gather information on how fast Polar Bears have been able to adapt to their surrounds and different living conditions. This information was found using some DNA found within the jaw bone. Lastly the DNA gather help link Polar Bears to the southeastern Alaskan Brown bear, showing just how closely related they are to each other.
How has this discovery changed our understanding of evolution? of biodiversity?
The Polar Bear jaw bone discovery can changed/supported our understanding of evolution by introducing the idea of rapid evolutionary adjustment in a known species. The Polar Bears seemed to come about during an ice-age and developed an appetite for sea-food and become accustom to the cold allowing them to survive and thrive in the world’s icy conditions of the time. But the real evolutionary ability was demonstrated in the Polar Bears ability to stay alive and well during a period of melt off and earth warming. There are questions as to the Polar Bears ability to adapt once again due to the rapid warming of the earth this time around (understanding evolution, 2010).
In the case of biodiversity the discovery of the jaw bone has brought forth research of just what lineage the Polar Bear has, and what evolutionary changes took place in the creation of the Polar Bear as a species.
When did this organism live? (Where would it be on our timeline?)
The Polar Bear fossil was found to be 130,000-110,000 years old. On our time line with would have been on the top row, close to the end. (lindqvist, Schuster, Sun, Talbot, Ratan, Tomsho, Kasson, Zeyl, Aars, Miller, Ingolfsson, Bachmann, Wiig, 2010)
Where was the fossil found?
The Polar Bear jaw was found in Norway a place referred to as the “Norwegian coastal cliffs” (understanding evolution, 2010).
Compare the kind of information presented in the newspaper article and the original scientific paper.
In the newspaper article the writer’s goal seemed to be to let the world know that there was a brand new historical find in the world of fossils and animal history. The writer presented the reader with a laymen style description of how different tests were used to date the Polar Bear jaw fossil as well as share finding on the DNA tests used to find out the jaws origin. In the scientific paper, it goes into great detail of how the test done on the jaw, what they were looking for, what they found, what they did not find, as well as what kind of information these tests can teach us things we never knew before. This article was difficult to read and understand due to my lack of knowledge in the field of genes and carbon dating. This article was also full of stats.
How did you find out about the discovery?
I found out about this discovery through the posted website on the assignment sheet, http://evolution.berkeley.edu. Because this website is connected to a university with a large well known science department, I figured it would be a great place to start my research. Once going to the site I found myself drawn to the first big story on the front page about a new Polar Bear discovery. For years I have studied Polar Bears, they are by far my favorite animal and just could not resist.
How did you find the original scientific paper?
Due to the nature of this schools site and presentation of the information I did not have to look for, the original documents were posted on the works sited portion of the article.
Can you find any discrepancies between the results of the original research and the way it was reported in the newspaper? To what do you attribute these discrepancies?
After reading or both articles I was not able to find any discrepancies within the information presented, it really just seemed as though the writer on the article was putting the complicated information of the research into a short, laymen termed, summery with some added excitement and intrigue.
Do you trust the information presented in the papers? Does one have more reliable information than the other?
Yes, I do trust this information. The articles as well as the research analysis paper both have the same information and the research analysis has been peer reviewed. So based on this logic I trust both pieces.
I believe that both pieces are working off the same information.
Compare the biases present in the articles.
The article seemed to be a clear and to the point biases of science is exciting and important and should be valued, where as the scientific paper seemed to be defending their findings and tests, as one should when performing empirical style results. Over all there biases did not conflict and the information seemed sound.
Limitations: As a student not in this field I would like to put forth that I have limitation in the understanding of this kind of data and statistic analysis, Hence why I loved the article so much more then the scientific paper.
Article:
One small fossil, one giant step for polar bear evolution. (2010). Understanding Evolution, Retrieved from http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/news/100401_polarbears
Scientific Paper:
lindqvist, C., Schuster, S., Sun, Y., Talbot, S., Ratan, A., Tomsho, L., Kasson, S., Zeyl, E., Aars, J., Miller, W., Ingolfsson, O., Bachmann, L., Wiig, O., (2010). Complete mitochondrial genome of a plesitocene jawbone unveils the origin of polar bear. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(11), Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/107/11/5053.full doi: 10.1073/pnas.0914266107
What makes this discovery exciting?
The Polar Bear jaw bone discovery is exciting for a couple different reasons, when taking a closer look at the newly discovered bone scientists where able to date the bone to nearly 130,000 years ago This date makes it the oldest sample the scientific community has of the first Polar Bears on our planet, scientists had not been able to place them very well within a time line ranging from 70,000-1 million years old (understanding evolution, 2010). According to the article, upon more investigation the scientist working with the fossil were able to gather information on how fast Polar Bears have been able to adapt to their surrounds and different living conditions. This information was found using some DNA found within the jaw bone. Lastly the DNA gather help link Polar Bears to the southeastern Alaskan Brown bear, showing just how closely related they are to each other.
How has this discovery changed our understanding of evolution? of biodiversity?
The Polar Bear jaw bone discovery can changed/supported our understanding of evolution by introducing the idea of rapid evolutionary adjustment in a known species. The Polar Bears seemed to come about during an ice-age and developed an appetite for sea-food and become accustom to the cold allowing them to survive and thrive in the world’s icy conditions of the time. But the real evolutionary ability was demonstrated in the Polar Bears ability to stay alive and well during a period of melt off and earth warming. There are questions as to the Polar Bears ability to adapt once again due to the rapid warming of the earth this time around (understanding evolution, 2010).
In the case of biodiversity the discovery of the jaw bone has brought forth research of just what lineage the Polar Bear has, and what evolutionary changes took place in the creation of the Polar Bear as a species.
When did this organism live? (Where would it be on our timeline?)
The Polar Bear fossil was found to be 130,000-110,000 years old. On our time line with would have been on the top row, close to the end. (lindqvist, Schuster, Sun, Talbot, Ratan, Tomsho, Kasson, Zeyl, Aars, Miller, Ingolfsson, Bachmann, Wiig, 2010)
Where was the fossil found?
The Polar Bear jaw was found in Norway a place referred to as the “Norwegian coastal cliffs” (understanding evolution, 2010).
Compare the kind of information presented in the newspaper article and the original scientific paper.
In the newspaper article the writer’s goal seemed to be to let the world know that there was a brand new historical find in the world of fossils and animal history. The writer presented the reader with a laymen style description of how different tests were used to date the Polar Bear jaw fossil as well as share finding on the DNA tests used to find out the jaws origin. In the scientific paper, it goes into great detail of how the test done on the jaw, what they were looking for, what they found, what they did not find, as well as what kind of information these tests can teach us things we never knew before. This article was difficult to read and understand due to my lack of knowledge in the field of genes and carbon dating. This article was also full of stats.
How did you find out about the discovery?
I found out about this discovery through the posted website on the assignment sheet, http://evolution.berkeley.edu. Because this website is connected to a university with a large well known science department, I figured it would be a great place to start my research. Once going to the site I found myself drawn to the first big story on the front page about a new Polar Bear discovery. For years I have studied Polar Bears, they are by far my favorite animal and just could not resist.
How did you find the original scientific paper?
Due to the nature of this schools site and presentation of the information I did not have to look for, the original documents were posted on the works sited portion of the article.
Can you find any discrepancies between the results of the original research and the way it was reported in the newspaper? To what do you attribute these discrepancies?
After reading or both articles I was not able to find any discrepancies within the information presented, it really just seemed as though the writer on the article was putting the complicated information of the research into a short, laymen termed, summery with some added excitement and intrigue.
Do you trust the information presented in the papers? Does one have more reliable information than the other?
Yes, I do trust this information. The articles as well as the research analysis paper both have the same information and the research analysis has been peer reviewed. So based on this logic I trust both pieces.
I believe that both pieces are working off the same information.
Compare the biases present in the articles.
The article seemed to be a clear and to the point biases of science is exciting and important and should be valued, where as the scientific paper seemed to be defending their findings and tests, as one should when performing empirical style results. Over all there biases did not conflict and the information seemed sound.
Limitations: As a student not in this field I would like to put forth that I have limitation in the understanding of this kind of data and statistic analysis, Hence why I loved the article so much more then the scientific paper.
Article:
One small fossil, one giant step for polar bear evolution. (2010). Understanding Evolution, Retrieved from http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/news/100401_polarbears
Scientific Paper:
lindqvist, C., Schuster, S., Sun, Y., Talbot, S., Ratan, A., Tomsho, L., Kasson, S., Zeyl, E., Aars, J., Miller, W., Ingolfsson, O., Bachmann, L., Wiig, O., (2010). Complete mitochondrial genome of a plesitocene jawbone unveils the origin of polar bear. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(11), Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/107/11/5053.full doi: 10.1073/pnas.0914266107
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The preservation lab! ...Who knew rocks could hold so much history!
1. It may seem intuitively obvious that a slimy little worm isn't going to have a good fossil record. But intuition isn’t good enough for scientists. Explain why it probably won’t fossilize using at least three lines of evidence.
The worms will not fossilize very well for a few different reasons; the first is that a worm is made of fleshy material without a skeleton making it very difficult to leave any kind of fossil. The second reason is that worms are a good food source for many animals and would be eaten if found. Lastly special preservation for this animal would be very rare not to mention hard to find. (Like trying to find a needle in a bunch of needles)
2. Do shelled organisms that live on top of other shelled organisms increase or reduce their chances of preservation? Explain.
The organisms that live on top of another shell can encrust a shell and increase its chances of being preservation but as the shell is being encrusted it does decrease the quality of the fossilization. It is important to note that the organisms on top of the shells will also become preserved providing a good fossilization of those organisms.
3. Why do you think most fossils of birds are from lakes?
The fossils of birds are found near and around lakes because that is one of the prefect environments for making fossil, Birds that come to a watering hole, or build their nests next to area of water can and most likely found themselves being covered or killed rapidly and then covered in these areas. In the case that this did happen the skeleton of the birds would be persevered in the sediment of the lake thus producing a fossil. (Class discussions, 2010)
4. How do the processes in special preservation differ from the processes in normal preserva¬tion?
Many times in special preservation like instant freezing there are some presents of flesh and tissue left on the fossil of the animal, where as with normal preservation the flesh and tissues have degraded and rotted away leaving only the bones and hard bodies deposits. (Class discussion, 2010)
5. What is time-averaging?
Time- averaging is a method of finding the average age of a grouping of fossils. Many times this is done using the fossils of shells (shell mash) that has layered the bottom of a lake, river, or ocean bed. This information can then help scientists now about what time different organisms co-existed. (Class discussion, 2010)
6. Write a caption for the figure below, explaining how it illustrates time-averaging.
The figure below (not seem here) illustrates time averaging, this is done by measuring the shells with into the group being studied and from those measurements they average the age of the group as a whole.
7. Compare the magnitude of time-averaging in a verve to time-averaging along the continental shelf where most fossilization occurs. ( I do not understand this question, I will be asking my professor)
8. What was the coolest thing you learned in this lab? Why was it so cool?
The coolest thing I learned over the course of this lab is just how much information you can gather from a normal fossil. In one of the stations we were asked to write down everything we knew about a horse. Once I had made a list I then had to think about how much of that information could be gather form just the skeletal fossil of a horse, I was shocked to find out just how much we can learn from the shape of the bones, the shape of their teeth and so on and so forth. This excises really allowed me to see the importance of studying and understanding what has been persevered in the soil and rocks all over the world.
The worms will not fossilize very well for a few different reasons; the first is that a worm is made of fleshy material without a skeleton making it very difficult to leave any kind of fossil. The second reason is that worms are a good food source for many animals and would be eaten if found. Lastly special preservation for this animal would be very rare not to mention hard to find. (Like trying to find a needle in a bunch of needles)
2. Do shelled organisms that live on top of other shelled organisms increase or reduce their chances of preservation? Explain.
The organisms that live on top of another shell can encrust a shell and increase its chances of being preservation but as the shell is being encrusted it does decrease the quality of the fossilization. It is important to note that the organisms on top of the shells will also become preserved providing a good fossilization of those organisms.
3. Why do you think most fossils of birds are from lakes?
The fossils of birds are found near and around lakes because that is one of the prefect environments for making fossil, Birds that come to a watering hole, or build their nests next to area of water can and most likely found themselves being covered or killed rapidly and then covered in these areas. In the case that this did happen the skeleton of the birds would be persevered in the sediment of the lake thus producing a fossil. (Class discussions, 2010)
4. How do the processes in special preservation differ from the processes in normal preserva¬tion?
Many times in special preservation like instant freezing there are some presents of flesh and tissue left on the fossil of the animal, where as with normal preservation the flesh and tissues have degraded and rotted away leaving only the bones and hard bodies deposits. (Class discussion, 2010)
5. What is time-averaging?
Time- averaging is a method of finding the average age of a grouping of fossils. Many times this is done using the fossils of shells (shell mash) that has layered the bottom of a lake, river, or ocean bed. This information can then help scientists now about what time different organisms co-existed. (Class discussion, 2010)
6. Write a caption for the figure below, explaining how it illustrates time-averaging.
The figure below (not seem here) illustrates time averaging, this is done by measuring the shells with into the group being studied and from those measurements they average the age of the group as a whole.
7. Compare the magnitude of time-averaging in a verve to time-averaging along the continental shelf where most fossilization occurs. ( I do not understand this question, I will be asking my professor)
8. What was the coolest thing you learned in this lab? Why was it so cool?
The coolest thing I learned over the course of this lab is just how much information you can gather from a normal fossil. In one of the stations we were asked to write down everything we knew about a horse. Once I had made a list I then had to think about how much of that information could be gather form just the skeletal fossil of a horse, I was shocked to find out just how much we can learn from the shape of the bones, the shape of their teeth and so on and so forth. This excises really allowed me to see the importance of studying and understanding what has been persevered in the soil and rocks all over the world.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Darwin was only the beginning !
1. What are some of the recent discoveries that give us insight into how the diversity of life evolved?
The tortoise of the Galapagos gave some insight to the diversity of life, because of the different shapes and colors of shells each of the tortoises from island to island. This was also found in different type of the same birds founded at the Galapagos Islands (finches), they looked very different and had adapted beaks for the different types of food sources from island to island.
2. Present some of the developmental evidence for Darwin’s Tree of Life.
Darwin’s theory of the tree of life brings forth the idea that we are all interconnected and that the evidence of this can be seen in the study of embryos. The first type of embryo Darwin examined were snake eggs, he discovered boney fishers that were the beginning of legs that then disappeared in adult snakes. Next he examined human embryos and found gill like structures that letter in development became the little bones near your jaw acting a part of your inner ear.
3. Part of Darwin’s Theory of natural selection is the idea that different individuals within the same species compete against each other. Explain how this competition led to evolutionary change in (1) the Galapagos finches, (2) pocket mouses in the Pinacarte Desert.
The theory of natural selection was highlighted in the beak formation of the finches on the Galapagos Islands, Each beak shape could be trace to a different island with a different foods source, and it was because of the environment that the birds formed these different adaptations, for if they did not they would not be able to survive. In the example of the pocket mice of the Pinacarte Deserts you can see Darwin’s theory of natural selection in that the mice that live in the dark color zones of rocks have developed a dark fur and those mice that live in the lighter color rocks have maintain or developed a little fur, it is because of this adaptation that these mice can survive their fate of being the “snickers bar of the desert”.
4. Give a couple of examples of single mutations that we can identify in particular genes have proven to be very beneficial.
A good example of single mutation is the fur color gene in the pocket mouse helping them to bind into their environments, the color vision in a different species of monkeys that helps them to differentiate between healthier red leaves and tough old green leaves, and a special kind of anti-freeze blood type that would keep a fish of the arctic form freezing to death.
5. Why is it so surprising that humans only have about 23,000 genes?
It’s surprising that we have only have 23,000 genes because of how complex we are and that corn and other plants and species have so many more parts to their genome then we do as humans.
6. What does the “switch” that Sean Carroll found in fruit flies do?
The “switch” that was discovered in fruit flies allows them to turn gene’s on and off that controls the paintbrush gene that adds the dark spots on the flies wings.
7. Why do Kinglsey and Schluter think they’ll find the same switch sticklebacks as in manatees, even though the rear fins were lost at completely different times in these lineages?
Kinglsey and Schluter believed that due to the discovery of the left over bone structure on the underbelly of the lake sticklebacks, may prove that same switch used to turn on and off the spike may also turn on and off the development of hind limbs with in other creatures such as snakes and manatees.
8. The fact that Hox genes control the development of fins in paddlefish suggests that the evolutionary transition of fins to limbs wasn’t all that dramatic. Explain.
The Hox genes found in paddlefish suggest that the beginnings of limbs have been present all along, and that the difference between a fin developing and an arm developing is based on simple mutations.
9. Hansell Stedman found a mutation in the human genome that should lead to muscle problems. But it turns out this mutation has benefited us? Why and how?
The mutation in the gene stops the jaw muscle from growing to large, closing off our skulls bone plates. The mutation has benefited us by allowing our skull to expand and grow make space for our brains to grow larger, causing us to evolve to who we are now.
10. Where are most of the genetic differences between humans and chimps located? (i.e., what kind of DNA?)
The DNA differences between chimps and humans can be mostly mapped when looking at the development and creation of our brains. The DNA changes come many times in the form of switches causing mutations that affect the size and complexity of our brains.
The tortoise of the Galapagos gave some insight to the diversity of life, because of the different shapes and colors of shells each of the tortoises from island to island. This was also found in different type of the same birds founded at the Galapagos Islands (finches), they looked very different and had adapted beaks for the different types of food sources from island to island.
2. Present some of the developmental evidence for Darwin’s Tree of Life.
Darwin’s theory of the tree of life brings forth the idea that we are all interconnected and that the evidence of this can be seen in the study of embryos. The first type of embryo Darwin examined were snake eggs, he discovered boney fishers that were the beginning of legs that then disappeared in adult snakes. Next he examined human embryos and found gill like structures that letter in development became the little bones near your jaw acting a part of your inner ear.
3. Part of Darwin’s Theory of natural selection is the idea that different individuals within the same species compete against each other. Explain how this competition led to evolutionary change in (1) the Galapagos finches, (2) pocket mouses in the Pinacarte Desert.
The theory of natural selection was highlighted in the beak formation of the finches on the Galapagos Islands, Each beak shape could be trace to a different island with a different foods source, and it was because of the environment that the birds formed these different adaptations, for if they did not they would not be able to survive. In the example of the pocket mice of the Pinacarte Deserts you can see Darwin’s theory of natural selection in that the mice that live in the dark color zones of rocks have developed a dark fur and those mice that live in the lighter color rocks have maintain or developed a little fur, it is because of this adaptation that these mice can survive their fate of being the “snickers bar of the desert”.
4. Give a couple of examples of single mutations that we can identify in particular genes have proven to be very beneficial.
A good example of single mutation is the fur color gene in the pocket mouse helping them to bind into their environments, the color vision in a different species of monkeys that helps them to differentiate between healthier red leaves and tough old green leaves, and a special kind of anti-freeze blood type that would keep a fish of the arctic form freezing to death.
5. Why is it so surprising that humans only have about 23,000 genes?
It’s surprising that we have only have 23,000 genes because of how complex we are and that corn and other plants and species have so many more parts to their genome then we do as humans.
6. What does the “switch” that Sean Carroll found in fruit flies do?
The “switch” that was discovered in fruit flies allows them to turn gene’s on and off that controls the paintbrush gene that adds the dark spots on the flies wings.
7. Why do Kinglsey and Schluter think they’ll find the same switch sticklebacks as in manatees, even though the rear fins were lost at completely different times in these lineages?
Kinglsey and Schluter believed that due to the discovery of the left over bone structure on the underbelly of the lake sticklebacks, may prove that same switch used to turn on and off the spike may also turn on and off the development of hind limbs with in other creatures such as snakes and manatees.
8. The fact that Hox genes control the development of fins in paddlefish suggests that the evolutionary transition of fins to limbs wasn’t all that dramatic. Explain.
The Hox genes found in paddlefish suggest that the beginnings of limbs have been present all along, and that the difference between a fin developing and an arm developing is based on simple mutations.
9. Hansell Stedman found a mutation in the human genome that should lead to muscle problems. But it turns out this mutation has benefited us? Why and how?
The mutation in the gene stops the jaw muscle from growing to large, closing off our skulls bone plates. The mutation has benefited us by allowing our skull to expand and grow make space for our brains to grow larger, causing us to evolve to who we are now.
10. Where are most of the genetic differences between humans and chimps located? (i.e., what kind of DNA?)
The DNA differences between chimps and humans can be mostly mapped when looking at the development and creation of our brains. The DNA changes come many times in the form of switches causing mutations that affect the size and complexity of our brains.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Preserving Things! You know like Fossils and beef jerky!
What a thought, Food and fossils in the same place at the same time!
April 7th
Compare preserving food to preserving fossils. Use at least three examples from McGhee to form the basis of your comparisons.
In studying the preservation of food it is clear that the some styles used are designed to slow, stop, and capture the natural decomposing of the food product itself. The nature of this process does not lend itself very well to that of the preserving of fossils. An example of how these processes are different can be found in the fact that when freezing and refrigerating meats and vegetables the goal is to preserve the muscles, cells and tissues of the organism, where as in the preserving of fossils the meat, tissue, and cells naturally decompose or become eaten by predators and scavengers.
For another type of preserving of food products like canning we can see some similarities in how fossils are persevered. A good example of this is when canning food you are required to rapidly heat the container storing the food encapsulating the food that is to be persevered in a air tight seal, In the case of a fossil a large amount of soil or hot earth can encapsulate a animal and provide a somewhat sealed environment and with the added heat and pressure of the earth produce a fossil of the trapped animal or organism.
Finally the preservation style of drying though at first could seem like a promising similarity is found to be reversed by the fact that fossils must come in contact with water in order to have the many layers of sediment form over the top of them.
Disclaimer: I’m very new to this field of study, so please do not take my word for fact or any kind of right answer. Thank you.
April 7th
Compare preserving food to preserving fossils. Use at least three examples from McGhee to form the basis of your comparisons.
In studying the preservation of food it is clear that the some styles used are designed to slow, stop, and capture the natural decomposing of the food product itself. The nature of this process does not lend itself very well to that of the preserving of fossils. An example of how these processes are different can be found in the fact that when freezing and refrigerating meats and vegetables the goal is to preserve the muscles, cells and tissues of the organism, where as in the preserving of fossils the meat, tissue, and cells naturally decompose or become eaten by predators and scavengers.
For another type of preserving of food products like canning we can see some similarities in how fossils are persevered. A good example of this is when canning food you are required to rapidly heat the container storing the food encapsulating the food that is to be persevered in a air tight seal, In the case of a fossil a large amount of soil or hot earth can encapsulate a animal and provide a somewhat sealed environment and with the added heat and pressure of the earth produce a fossil of the trapped animal or organism.
Finally the preservation style of drying though at first could seem like a promising similarity is found to be reversed by the fact that fossils must come in contact with water in order to have the many layers of sediment form over the top of them.
Disclaimer: I’m very new to this field of study, so please do not take my word for fact or any kind of right answer. Thank you.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Next Assignment!!
Zimmer 2009a, Origin of Life
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
The author Carl Zimmer has a straight and direct way of keep you the reader interested in his article, first he starts out bring the thoughts and the theory of one of the influential scientific minds of the 19th century, Charles Darwin. Zimmer highlighted the controversial idea that human kind originated from a very basic one celled life form.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This hook leads to a very interesting and compelling set of questions that could be asked and then answered using the information gather and theorized by Charles Darwin, in regards to the thought that human life can be traced to a basic life form.
3. What is RNA (specifically mRNA, for those of you who have some background in this area)? Why is it essential for using the genetic code?
Messenger RNA is a strand of nucleotides that contain three different parts, a base, a sugar, and a grouping of phosphorus and oxygen atoms. The job of the mRNA is to become a copy of DNA and then translate itself (RNA) into different amino acids, which then links together to make proteins. mRNA is essential because it’s the device in which, DNA can build different proteins and therefore an organism.
4. What is the RNA world hypothesis?
The RNA world hypothesis theorizes that RNA-base life forms could have come from organisms made of a different genetic material, and that the different material is no longer found on the earth or in other natural processes. Scientists think it’s a possibility that life could have emerged from a simpler type of molecule then RNA that no longer exists and the RNA was the byproduct of a evolutionary change.
5. Why was lightening so essential to the origin of life?
In the 1950’s a experiment was done that proved that if you push lightning through ammonia, methane, and other types of gases, there is a product of amino acids the starting source for the production of proteins. This experiment was later to be proven possible with formaldehyde and other organic compounds known to be on the earth during the time of life’s beginning making the argument that lightning is the true spark of life.
6. What ideas does Zimmer present on how cells may have originated?
Zimmer present that idea that cells originated from RNA molecules coming together and connecting to each other growing in size and then produce more of itself by ripping apart from each other creating new bonds with more RNA. RNA replicating then would become packed and trapped inside of fatty acids producing the first real cell.
7. Do we have any conclusive evidence to support hypotheses on how life originated?
I don’t believe conclusive is the right word, this article has shown a great deal of supporting evidence that we are on the right track to finding out the processes and reactions that may of led to the first origins of life. The spark of lightning could bring us to the moment of cellular generations, the studies of RNA can bring forth the ideas of how the cells started to make living organisms, and the study of how the RNA became trapped within fatty acids provides the mean of how the RNA molecules could in fact make the organisms that would change and mutate into me .
Zimmer 2010, What the rocks say
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
In this piece the author Carl Zimmer bring you in with the story of Abigail Allwood’s adventure down to a dig site or formation entitled the North Pole, it is at this site that scientists are finding proof of life 3.43 billion years ago.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This would be a great hook to study for a case story, the North Pole site would be a great place to start your research on what exactly is being found and how the scientist doing their work there have come to their conclusions. You could also research how accurate their testing methods are and see if there is any room for error in their research. ( I might do this one….it’s pretty awesome topic )
3. Why was Lord Kelvin’s estimate of the age of the Earth wrong?
Lord Kelvin’s estimate was found to be wrong because the temperature of the rocks in the mine shafts were warmed and heated by radioactivity and very unstable energy source. This unstable source of energy would later make radiocarbon dating possible.
4. Use Figure 3.3 to explain the most common way fossils form.
Fossils form over time in a series of stages, first foot prints, poop, and other evidence is left behind by a living thing, second the living thing dies near water, third the dead body of the living thing is picked clean of its soft tissues and other eatable parts, next the rest of the organic material rots away leaving only the bones and other hard pieces of matter, then the nearby water raises covering the body and evidence left behind by the now dead organism, next a series of thick layers of sediment cover and encapsulate the bones, foot prints, poop and other evidence of the organism and finally many thousands of years later the bones, foot prints and evidence are exposed by erosion.
5. How does coal form?
Coal is form when organic material is buried in sediment before it has the chance to rot and then begins to break down ,due to a bacteria present that does not need oxygen to survive. The bacteria breaks down the organism into a substance called lignin that when introduced or subjected to extreme pressure and heat turns into a hard rock like material called coal.
6. What are 12C and 13C?
12C and 13C are both a forms of carbon. 12C has six protons and six neutrons, where 13C has extra proton or neutron. Why does the ration of 12C to 13C differ between plants and air? The ration of 12C to 13C differs because 13C is a heavier molecule therefore slows the absorption of 13C whereas 12C is easier for a plant to absorb. How do we use this difference to infer details about fossil ecosystems?
7. Find some images of Ediacaran fossils and post them in your blogs. (SEE BELOW)
8. Why do plants colonize land before animals?
The plants colonized the land before the animals because plant could use the 12C for a source of growth and procreation, whereas there were no animals that breathed carbon as there source for cell creation. Not to mention it was too hot to support animal of land.
9. How does this reading tie to the learning goals for this course? This reading, forces us to think critically about what is being theorized and discover with in the field of science. It also shows us a good source of research, and then shares methods and practices in which the scientists used to find their conclusions. So it touch on two of the four learning goals we have in this class!
Sources
1) Zimmer, C. (2009). On the origin of life on earth, Retrieved from e-reserve
2) Zimmer, C. (2010). The Tangled bank: an introduction to evolution (Roberts and company publishers), Retrieved from e-reserve
Picture sources
A) http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/G102/102prot3.htm
B) http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2215/change-ancient-seas-allowed-life-spread
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
The author Carl Zimmer has a straight and direct way of keep you the reader interested in his article, first he starts out bring the thoughts and the theory of one of the influential scientific minds of the 19th century, Charles Darwin. Zimmer highlighted the controversial idea that human kind originated from a very basic one celled life form.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This hook leads to a very interesting and compelling set of questions that could be asked and then answered using the information gather and theorized by Charles Darwin, in regards to the thought that human life can be traced to a basic life form.
3. What is RNA (specifically mRNA, for those of you who have some background in this area)? Why is it essential for using the genetic code?
Messenger RNA is a strand of nucleotides that contain three different parts, a base, a sugar, and a grouping of phosphorus and oxygen atoms. The job of the mRNA is to become a copy of DNA and then translate itself (RNA) into different amino acids, which then links together to make proteins. mRNA is essential because it’s the device in which, DNA can build different proteins and therefore an organism.
4. What is the RNA world hypothesis?
The RNA world hypothesis theorizes that RNA-base life forms could have come from organisms made of a different genetic material, and that the different material is no longer found on the earth or in other natural processes. Scientists think it’s a possibility that life could have emerged from a simpler type of molecule then RNA that no longer exists and the RNA was the byproduct of a evolutionary change.
5. Why was lightening so essential to the origin of life?
In the 1950’s a experiment was done that proved that if you push lightning through ammonia, methane, and other types of gases, there is a product of amino acids the starting source for the production of proteins. This experiment was later to be proven possible with formaldehyde and other organic compounds known to be on the earth during the time of life’s beginning making the argument that lightning is the true spark of life.
6. What ideas does Zimmer present on how cells may have originated?
Zimmer present that idea that cells originated from RNA molecules coming together and connecting to each other growing in size and then produce more of itself by ripping apart from each other creating new bonds with more RNA. RNA replicating then would become packed and trapped inside of fatty acids producing the first real cell.
7. Do we have any conclusive evidence to support hypotheses on how life originated?
I don’t believe conclusive is the right word, this article has shown a great deal of supporting evidence that we are on the right track to finding out the processes and reactions that may of led to the first origins of life. The spark of lightning could bring us to the moment of cellular generations, the studies of RNA can bring forth the ideas of how the cells started to make living organisms, and the study of how the RNA became trapped within fatty acids provides the mean of how the RNA molecules could in fact make the organisms that would change and mutate into me .
Zimmer 2010, What the rocks say
1. What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
In this piece the author Carl Zimmer bring you in with the story of Abigail Allwood’s adventure down to a dig site or formation entitled the North Pole, it is at this site that scientists are finding proof of life 3.43 billion years ago.
2. How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
This would be a great hook to study for a case story, the North Pole site would be a great place to start your research on what exactly is being found and how the scientist doing their work there have come to their conclusions. You could also research how accurate their testing methods are and see if there is any room for error in their research. ( I might do this one….it’s pretty awesome topic )
3. Why was Lord Kelvin’s estimate of the age of the Earth wrong?
Lord Kelvin’s estimate was found to be wrong because the temperature of the rocks in the mine shafts were warmed and heated by radioactivity and very unstable energy source. This unstable source of energy would later make radiocarbon dating possible.
4. Use Figure 3.3 to explain the most common way fossils form.
Fossils form over time in a series of stages, first foot prints, poop, and other evidence is left behind by a living thing, second the living thing dies near water, third the dead body of the living thing is picked clean of its soft tissues and other eatable parts, next the rest of the organic material rots away leaving only the bones and other hard pieces of matter, then the nearby water raises covering the body and evidence left behind by the now dead organism, next a series of thick layers of sediment cover and encapsulate the bones, foot prints, poop and other evidence of the organism and finally many thousands of years later the bones, foot prints and evidence are exposed by erosion.
5. How does coal form?
Coal is form when organic material is buried in sediment before it has the chance to rot and then begins to break down ,due to a bacteria present that does not need oxygen to survive. The bacteria breaks down the organism into a substance called lignin that when introduced or subjected to extreme pressure and heat turns into a hard rock like material called coal.
6. What are 12C and 13C?
12C and 13C are both a forms of carbon. 12C has six protons and six neutrons, where 13C has extra proton or neutron. Why does the ration of 12C to 13C differ between plants and air? The ration of 12C to 13C differs because 13C is a heavier molecule therefore slows the absorption of 13C whereas 12C is easier for a plant to absorb. How do we use this difference to infer details about fossil ecosystems?
7. Find some images of Ediacaran fossils and post them in your blogs. (SEE BELOW)
8. Why do plants colonize land before animals?
The plants colonized the land before the animals because plant could use the 12C for a source of growth and procreation, whereas there were no animals that breathed carbon as there source for cell creation. Not to mention it was too hot to support animal of land.
9. How does this reading tie to the learning goals for this course? This reading, forces us to think critically about what is being theorized and discover with in the field of science. It also shows us a good source of research, and then shares methods and practices in which the scientists used to find their conclusions. So it touch on two of the four learning goals we have in this class!
Sources
1) Zimmer, C. (2009). On the origin of life on earth, Retrieved from e-reserve
2) Zimmer, C. (2010). The Tangled bank: an introduction to evolution (Roberts and company publishers), Retrieved from e-reserve
Picture sources
A) http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/G102/102prot3.htm
B) http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2215/change-ancient-seas-allowed-life-spread
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
First Reading Post
The Cartoon History of the Universe by Larry Gonick is a priceless way to jump into the story of the history of life and evolution, I would encourge anyone that has not read it to do so. In reflection of this Cartoon graphic novel my professor has given us a set of questions to answers. These are them:
What hook does the author use to capture your attention?
The author Larry Gonick does a great job of hooking you with a statement that the widely held idea that life originated from an organic soup is actually false, pushing you to read on and find out what ideas or theory he himself has discovered to be true.
How could you adapt this hook in your own case study?
I could adapt this hook by researching first the original theory of the organic soup and how it came to be and then research and understand how it is proven to be unlikely and not accepted by the scientific world anymore, expressing the conflict of the two theories and the evidence for both theories.
Why was the Earth more radioactive four billion years ago?
The author shares that radioactivity has a particular rate of decay and that because we are not surrounded by unstable radioactive elements, that in fact the earth 4 billion years ago must have been much more radioactive. This is of course dependent on the knowledge of how the earth was created with the hydrogen bomb beginning.
What is remarkable about the fact that the oldest evidence for life is found in the oldest sedimentary rocks—that is, the oldest rocks that can possible contain fossils? (think about it; you may need to look up what sedimentary rocks are)
The remarkable thing about sedimentary rocks is that they hold a good timeline of the types of life present on the course of the evolutionary time line, and that the rocks themselves are mostly made up of the dead detritus (algae, plankton, ect.) that was once living itself built up and packed into rock over time trapping what lays between each layer.
The first mass extinction event in the History of Life was triggered by organisms who changed their environment so quickly, that they couldn’t survive in new environment that they created. Explain the circumstances of this extinction event. Over what time scale did it occur?
The first of the three major extinctions once again shows us how important it is that life adapts and changes over time, The Trilobites and the primitive lizards had not evolved with the rest of the organisms around them so their chances of getting food and receiving the things need to stay alive became available to them and so they all started to die off in great numbers.
What are some of the advantages of sex (from an evolutionary point of view)?
A few of the main advantages of sex are: It is the means in which organism can reproduce their species keeping their populations going, Another advantage occurring a little later in the evolutionary series of events is the selection of stronger and more robust genes, allowing the species to adapt and change in their environments at a much greater rate, and finally it can produce new types of species in the case of a genetic adaption or mutation.
What is a notochord? A notochord is a small rod designed to stiffen the body of an organism that runs along the inside of its central nerve.
One of the keys to evolution is that natural selection modifies features in an ancestor, adapting them to new functions. Explain this point using the evolution of the mammalian ear (see p. 23 of the reading). In the case of the Mammalian ear, we can see that in the series of evolution regarding the multi pieced jaw was adapted and change to one large jaw bone and little very small bones located right at the jaw socket or joint, it can be said that the reason why these bones did not completely disappear during adaption is because those bones act now as a key piece of the hearing and ear function of humans today. Highlighting the fact that evolutionary needs can change and evolve accordingly.
Describe three events that occurred in the history of life after the Devonian.
1) One of the events that took place after the Devonian period was the carboniferous stage, the Fish started to make their way up and out of the water to start becoming amphibians and bugs started to inhabit the forests, during the Devonian stage algae had made its way up and out of the water as well, laying the foundation for the forests to start covering the planet. Once there were amphibians on land evolution started taking leaps and bounds.
2) The second event was the Permian stage, it is at this stage that the amphibians start to adapt to land life, learning how to sun bath for body heat and then find shade when they needed to cool down, once this skill was mastered the lizards would start to eat much great amounts of food pushing their internal body heat up using their metabolism. These changes along with their teeth forming into more knives like ripping tools made way for the new kind of species a mammal.
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