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Why Only Five Tastes?
Desireé Mack
Science and Society
There
are five main tastes, one for sweet, sour, savory, bitter, and salty. Animals
have evolved to taste sugar to find carbohydrates for energy and a safe source
for calories. Animals have evolved to taste savory things to be able to pick up
the taste of protein. There are over 25 different types of bitter taste buds to
pick out the things that might be toxic to eat and allows us to have enough
sensitivity to taste something beneficial in the long run. We have evolved to taste sour to protect
us from eating things to sour that would throw our bodies out of whack and
helps us figure out the ripeness of our food for nutritional value. Salt is
very important to our biological task our bodies don’t store salt so it is very
important that we find foods with salt.
I Now Pronounce You Chimp & Larry
Image By:Da Vonte Martin
- Walking up right
- Thumbs
- Ability to grasp with all five fingers
- Similar skull structure
- Round Ears
Sadly, humans can not reproduce with the monkey specie because that other 2% which makes the ape and human race are the chromosomes. Monkey's have 48 (24 pairs) chromosomes whereas the human body makes up of 46 (23 pairs). In order for any species to reproduce, both subjects need to have their 23 pairs of chromosomes because every chromosome carries DNA which corresponds to the opposite sex which enables them to have children.Though humans and monkeys cannot reproduce now , that doesn't mean that they have then. According to well-known Science Correspondent Richard Ingham, "The youngest chromosome in the human genome is the X, which helps determine gender. On average, X is around 1.2 million years more recent than the 22 non-sex chromosomes, the scientists found.". This means that the X-Chromosome in humans and apes are as recent as the first recorded humans only about seven-million years ago. So not only did humans and apes have sexual intercourse , but they were able to reproduce.Your maybe wondering "I thought humans and apes didn't have equal chromosomes to mate?". That's absolutely right , however more scientific evidence leads to the theory that during the interbreeding of the "unknown" ancestor and apes , two of the chromosomes look as if they had fused together.
http://www.synapses.co.uk/genetics/chromos.html
"Thus something unusual must have happened on the way to speciation: an initial split between human and chimp, followed by interbreeding..." says Richard Ingham.This means that mating between was at one point possible.At one point before the fusion of chromosomes, humans and apes were like opposite genders rather than opposite species.
Citations:
Citations:
- Ingham, Richard. "Early humans had sex with chimps ." News in Science (2006): n. pag. Web. 12 Nov 2010. <http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1641443.htm>.
- Ape, . "Apes." How Stuff Works. How Stuff Works, 16 May 2008. Web. 12 Nov 2010. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/ape-info.htm>.
- Marks, Jonathan. "What It Really Means To Be 99% Chimpanzee ."Department of Anthropology (1999): n. pag. Web. 12 Nov 2010. <http://personal.uncc.edu/jmarks/interests/aaa/marksaaa99.htm>
- MacAandrew, Alec. "Human Chromosome 2 is a fusion of two ancestral chromosomes ." Department of Anthropology n. pag. Web. 11 Nov 2010. <http://www.evolutionpages.com/chromosome_2.htm>.
- Rodriguez, Monica. "Ask a Geneticist." Tech Museum:Stanford School of Medicine (2007): n. pag. Web. 12 Nov 2010. <http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=229>.
- Pbs, Science. "Evolution Frequently Asked Questions." PBS Science (2010): n. pag. Web. 12 Nov 2010. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/faq/cat03.html>.
Why do men have nipples?
Rough draft better
Chris Cassise
Why do men have nipples?. It’s the kind of question that doesn’t need to be answered but should be interesting to find out why they are there. It’s understandable for women to have nipples because it is the distributor for the breast milk to feed a newborn baby but a man, what does he need it for? According to Darwin’s theory on natural selection, it is theorized that men shouldn’t have nipples because during natural selection, the undesirable traits in the male/female body gradually lose their parts they don’t need over time. This would make sense as to why men have nipples; the process must not go through natural selection obviously since there must be a significant reason for it being there. A great example was the appendix, which now a useless part of our bodies was a part of the digestive track making it significant component. [1]
Men have nipples because it follows part of a female template since both sexes have similar tissue and body parts. Since this is confirmed that we share parts, it isn’t hard to understand why men just have nipples. When breasts grow abnormally on men it is called gynecomastia, which is the enlargement of breasts. So the question is simple surprisingly, Men and women follow the same template and nipples are just created no matter what sex you are and the chromosomes figure out if they will be functioning or non functioning in the process of knowing if they are going to be a man or woman. Its the effect of genes, in which the Y chromosome and hormone testosterone that changes the embryo. The idea of shared genetic basis of two traits is known as genetic correlation. Genetic correlation is “the proportion of variance that two traits share due to genetic causes.”[3] The evolutionary default is for males and females to share characters through genetic correlations.[4] Testosterone promotes the growth of the penis and testicles in men and since nipples are there before this process begins, they inhabit. Some genetic scientists have noted through this article that if nipples were harmful for the male body, they would have disappeared over time.
Source:
[1] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/appendix-function.html
[2]http://menshealth.about.com/od/conditions/a/Nipples_Men.htm
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_correlation
[4] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-do-men-have-nipples
How did diseases come about through evolution; And how are they evolving currently?
Diseases came about throughout evolution largely from the results of
microorganisms; these microorganisms are specifically called microbes. Microbes
are microorganisms that cause disease or fermentation. At a point in time
microbes were contained to certain locations, meaning that at a point of time
they didn’t spread very much. When humans begin making the climb toward
civilizations, by making long trips, creating long distance trade, and also
exploring different geographic sections of the world. Microbes begin attacking
them, so it’s safe to say, that through cultural expansion diseases have
evolved. It is said that the spread of microbes modernly increased through the
European Industrialization and colonization.
This lead to the antibiotic era, this was an era when antibiotics begin to develop. In this era at a point in time, antibiotics begin to be misused and overused. At that time they didn’t know that antibiotics were only effective against bacterial infections. So this did more harm than good, because by people overusing antibiotics, microbes became smarter making immune to them. Not only did microbes become resistant they started creating strains that were more harmful. The the Antibiotic Era also led to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics used to treat very harmful infections, like the common cold, and influenza (flu). The overuse of antibiotics helped these infections and diseases become antibody resistant which is what scientist and doctors are dealing with currently.
In modern society our way of dealing with these issues are by using
vaccination, or by trying to cure them straight out. But by giving vaccinations
for infections like diphtheria, chicken pox, polio, tetanus, and measles, we
may be helping in the current situation, but at the same time producing strains
of antibody resistant microbes. In theory this may be detrimental to our generations in the years to come. As far as scientist and doctors trying to cure
diseases right from the start, there have been some issues following this as well. For example
when scientist and doctors tried to stop the spread of malaria with using
modern antimalarial medicine, the parasites that malaria contained, revolted
against it, because it became immune to the medicine, but it also created more
dangerous strands of parasites. This led to mutation of genes, which birthed
even more harmful diseases such as Sickle Cell Anemia, Thalassaemias, Duffy
Antigens, G6PD, and HLA and interleukin-4. Allow this is an example of just one example, this is an issue that follows the process of curing the most prominent diseases know to man, such as HIV/AIDS, and cancer. Bacteria is just becoming to smart...
In conclusion to put it simply as humans evolved with nature, so did microorganisms, and parasites. Which are still evolving as I write this blog. The real question is how will the evolution of smarter and more efficient humans lead to better engineering of preventive medicines?
Sources:
www.unmpress.com/more/0826330657.pdf
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575081613327728110.html
http://www.cdc.gov/MALARIA/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1224522/?tool=pmcentrez
The Addictive Personality.
It has long been asked if there is such thing as an Addictive Personality. As you’ve grown up perhaps you’ve noticed some of your friends have become dependent on substances like caffeine or nicotine. But is this just a personality trait, or something more? Research has shown that it could be rooted in one’s DNA. According to research done at the University of Utah, an ‘addiction gene’ wouldn’t mean that someone is bound to become addicted, but rather “it may be harder for people with certain genes to quit once they start.”
In recent studies, and Alcoholic
gene, DRD2, “was present in more than two-thirds of 35 deceased alcoholics,
whereas it appeared only in one-fifth of 35 deceased non-alcoholics.”
This confirms that if a parent is an alcoholic, it is more likely for their
children to be alcoholics as well.
According to Web MD, the genetic trait is considered a deficiency. It
seems to have no contributing factor to our species survival. Additionally no scientist
has presented a strong theory on why the gene developed in the first place,
beside it being a random genetic mutation.
Samuel Kabangai- William C. Longstreth
Samuel Kabangai
Hi, for our history and english project, we had to pick a building in our neighborhood that is named after some and do research on the person and the building.
I like this project a lot and through this project i got to really know new information about my neighborhood that I will always remember.
I researched the elementary school i went to, William C. Longstreth School that is right down the street from my house.I was amazed on the information that i found out about my neighborhood and information i found out about the Longstreth family. I can proudly say that, through this project I know a little bit about my neighborhood that many people that have lived here longer than me don't know, and i will be proud and happy to tell them what I have learned. I hope this project that I have done marks the first step of my goal.
Hi, for our history and english project, we had to pick a building in our neighborhood that is named after some and do research on the person and the building.
I like this project a lot and through this project i got to really know new information about my neighborhood that I will always remember.
I researched the elementary school i went to, William C. Longstreth School that is right down the street from my house.I was amazed on the information that i found out about my neighborhood and information i found out about the Longstreth family. I can proudly say that, through this project I know a little bit about my neighborhood that many people that have lived here longer than me don't know, and i will be proud and happy to tell them what I have learned. I hope this project that I have done marks the first step of my goal.
Evolution of Venomous Snakes
There are many types of venomous animals like the lizards,
scorpions, even 
the male duckbilled platypus. But my main focus for this blog
are snakes. There are more than 2,200 species of poisonous and venomous snakes
in the world. Snakes lost both arms and legs due to grassy and subterranean
habitats, but evolution has handed snakes the ultimate weapon: venom. How did
they evolve into venom-injecting beast and how is venom still evolving into
society today?
Snakes emerged during the Cretaceous period from lizards, but Dr Bryan Grieg Fry at the University of Melbourne believes, "that almost all snakes share a common, venomous, ancestor". Venomous snakes have similar classes of protein in their venom, suggesting that in the vast difference of habitats, snake’s venom derived from a common origin.
Further Questions:
What other types of medicine can venom be substituted in?
Did venomous and poisonous snakes also evolved from the same ancestor?
Which venom is the most potent?
Links:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/whats-your-poison-527683.html
http://www.fathom.com/course/10701017/session2.html
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/snakes/snake4.htm
http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/venanimals/ven_about.html
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-03/evolution%E2%80%99s-most-effective-killer-snake-venom
http://evolutionblog.blogspot.com/2005/04/evolution-of-snake-venom.html
Snakes emerged during the Cretaceous period from lizards, but Dr Bryan Grieg Fry at the University of Melbourne believes, "that almost all snakes share a common, venomous, ancestor". Venomous snakes have similar classes of protein in their venom, suggesting that in the vast difference of habitats, snake’s venom derived from a common origin.
Venom itself also evolved, its
toxins and proteins being reborn from other proteins in tissues throughout the
snake’s body. snake-venom toxins were derived originally from proteins
in the brain, eye, lung, heart, liver, muscle, mammary gland, ovary and testis.
By tweaking the proteins from other body tissues, snakes developed a way to
create more specific and highly potent toxins.
Venom is still evolving today in medicine, having a beneficial effect on the body. For example, some poisons reduce blood pressure so quickly that the victim dies. But by changing and reproducing some components in venom, scientists can make a drug that reduces blood pressure.
Further Questions:
What other types of medicine can venom be substituted in?
Did venomous and poisonous snakes also evolved from the same ancestor?
Which venom is the most potent?
Links:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/whats-your-poison-527683.html
http://www.fathom.com/course/10701017/session2.html
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/snakes/snake4.htm
http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/venanimals/ven_about.html
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-03/evolution%E2%80%99s-most-effective-killer-snake-venom
http://evolutionblog.blogspot.com/2005/04/evolution-of-snake-venom.html
Have humans managed to accelerate the evolution of a species?
The process of evolution or natural selection takes years naturally, and is carefully fine-tuned and passed down throughout generations. However, humans try to replicate evolutionary process to document how it occurs. They also tend to invade and intrude on the habitats of other species, which can cause organisms to adapt more quickly to survive sudden changes brought on by humanity. Have humans managed to accelerate the evolution of a species?
In some instances, humans have been known to purposely speed certain controlled processes up enough for them to document them. One of the more famous examples of this was the experiments carried out by Richard Lenski, who has, since 1988, been conducting a long-term evolution experiment using the E.coli bacterium as his subject. However, certain things (e.g. climate change) are accelerated by accident, with alarming and potentially harmful results.
An example of this accidental acceleration was discussed in a UK Telegraph article titled "Human fishing and hunting accelerating evolution of species". By over harvesting some fish species at their most mature age and level of development, humans are causing certain fish species to change their sizes, and this is at a much more rapid rate than would happen naturally. Dr. Chris Darimont, a post-doctoral researcher in environmental studies at the University of California was quoted as saying "The pace of changes we're seeing supercedes by a long shot what we've observed in natural systems, and even in systems that have been rapidly modified by humans in other way. As predators, humans are a dominant evolutionary force."
In his book "The Botany of Desire", Michael Pollan discusses the Semper Augustus (a rare and prized tulip) and Dutch "tulipmania" of the 17th century. This was a brief but intense tulip obsession in Amsterdam. It was one of the first instances of humans using natural selection to purposely change the appearance of an organism. A blight had been observed changing the colors of tulip petals, and soon a multicolored tulip became a coveted item. Farmers were introducing this blight to their tulips, which would ultimately kill the crop, but made the flowers beautiful and desired. Tulips were sold for outrageous amounts of money and a full-out craze ensued, until the market for the prized flower collapsed a few years later.
Mankind has accelerated change in other species and organisms. While they may not have induced complete evolutionary change, they have certainly accelerated the rate of natural selection. This has been done both purposefully, with the intent and purpose of changing features or adding or eliminating different traits, such as with the tulips, or other examples, like dog breeding. This has also been done accidentally, for example some released or escaped pets caused an explosion of Burmese pythons in Florida, which changed biological diversity and natural evolution. Possibly, sometime in the future, mankind will be able to accelerate actual evolution in its quest to understand nature and have concrete theories.
An example of this accidental acceleration was discussed in a UK Telegraph article titled "Human fishing and hunting accelerating evolution of species". By over harvesting some fish species at their most mature age and level of development, humans are causing certain fish species to change their sizes, and this is at a much more rapid rate than would happen naturally. Dr. Chris Darimont, a post-doctoral researcher in environmental studies at the University of California was quoted as saying "The pace of changes we're seeing supercedes by a long shot what we've observed in natural systems, and even in systems that have been rapidly modified by humans in other way. As predators, humans are a dominant evolutionary force."
In his book "The Botany of Desire", Michael Pollan discusses the Semper Augustus (a rare and prized tulip) and Dutch "tulipmania" of the 17th century. This was a brief but intense tulip obsession in Amsterdam. It was one of the first instances of humans using natural selection to purposely change the appearance of an organism. A blight had been observed changing the colors of tulip petals, and soon a multicolored tulip became a coveted item. Farmers were introducing this blight to their tulips, which would ultimately kill the crop, but made the flowers beautiful and desired. Tulips were sold for outrageous amounts of money and a full-out craze ensued, until the market for the prized flower collapsed a few years later.
Mankind has accelerated change in other species and organisms. While they may not have induced complete evolutionary change, they have certainly accelerated the rate of natural selection. This has been done both purposefully, with the intent and purpose of changing features or adding or eliminating different traits, such as with the tulips, or other examples, like dog breeding. This has also been done accidentally, for example some released or escaped pets caused an explosion of Burmese pythons in Florida, which changed biological diversity and natural evolution. Possibly, sometime in the future, mankind will be able to accelerate actual evolution in its quest to understand nature and have concrete theories.
Ashley Weekes Q1
In art class we were assigned an art project in which we had to create something using recycled materials. We were given several examples to guide us into the project and help with brainstorming. When I was beginning to brainstorm for this project, my original idea was to create a lamp shade using old detergent containers. I was going to melt down the containers for the mend together maybe even tint them a bit to get a different color for the light shade. My goal for this project was to ultimately create something that I would be able to use over and over again, something that would be easy to make again for family or friends.
Ultimately, that idea became difficult to create. There were so many other aspects to the project that would of taken awhile longer to make. The electronic part of it, attaching a light bulb with a harnest for the light to hang from was becoming to be difficult so I decided to brainstorm for another project. I lost a lot of artistic value in the project I originally brainstormed for, the replacement project I came up with was less artistic. Due to timing and such I had to come up with a replacement project and since I put so much thought into my original project that most of my timing was lost for the replacement project.
The idea for my new project came from my recent birthday. I received a lot of balloons for birthday and I figured its very often we receive balloons for holidays and we don't know what to do with them so we throw them away. I figured I could reuse them, probably not in the most artistic way, but I decided to use them as book covers.
I started by deflating the balloons and cutting around the edges. The after I had the balloon opened half way, I placed a book on the deflated balloon a sized it out to match borders of the book, so it fit it neatly. I'm still trying to figure out more creative ways to use recycled art. I've found some cool interesting things online and my peers have also been doing cool and exciting things with recycled art.
Balloon Book Covers - Pictures
Bottle Caps Poster
For my bottle caps poster I thought it would be nice to look at the aquatic life's perspective of bottle caps being thrown in the ocean and how it's directly influencing them. The design of the poster was to convey sight that sort of shocking or gross to get people's attention. The wording plays a huge part in the message of this poster. The problem being that people "throw" their bottle caps tells the reader to throw the bottle caps in a place where it won't cause harm to the aquatic life in the ocean.
Ultimately, that idea became difficult to create. There were so many other aspects to the project that would of taken awhile longer to make. The electronic part of it, attaching a light bulb with a harnest for the light to hang from was becoming to be difficult so I decided to brainstorm for another project. I lost a lot of artistic value in the project I originally brainstormed for, the replacement project I came up with was less artistic. Due to timing and such I had to come up with a replacement project and since I put so much thought into my original project that most of my timing was lost for the replacement project.
The idea for my new project came from my recent birthday. I received a lot of balloons for birthday and I figured its very often we receive balloons for holidays and we don't know what to do with them so we throw them away. I figured I could reuse them, probably not in the most artistic way, but I decided to use them as book covers.
I started by deflating the balloons and cutting around the edges. The after I had the balloon opened half way, I placed a book on the deflated balloon a sized it out to match borders of the book, so it fit it neatly. I'm still trying to figure out more creative ways to use recycled art. I've found some cool interesting things online and my peers have also been doing cool and exciting things with recycled art.
Balloon Book Covers - Pictures
Bottle Caps Poster
For my bottle caps poster I thought it would be nice to look at the aquatic life's perspective of bottle caps being thrown in the ocean and how it's directly influencing them. The design of the poster was to convey sight that sort of shocking or gross to get people's attention. The wording plays a huge part in the message of this poster. The problem being that people "throw" their bottle caps tells the reader to throw the bottle caps in a place where it won't cause harm to the aquatic life in the ocean.
Why do humans and monkeys have such distinct characteristics?
If humans were evolved from monkeys, why don't we have more
similar physical characteristics? In the diagram of evolution, chimps are the
most closely related organism to humans. According to National
Geographic, scientist’s found that humans are 96 percent similar to
the great ape species. Scientist Frans de Waal at Emory University states,
“Darwin wasn't just provocative in saying that we descend from the apes—he
didn't go far enough." He also states, "We are apes in every way,
from our long arms and tailless bodies to our habits and temperament." Scientists
have actual proof of the genetic relationship between human and chimp.
Humans and chimps have a high degree of genetic similarity. Proteins
are usually responsible for organism’s anatomical, psychological and behavioral
characteristics.
The African
Wildlife Foundation informs us that chimpanzees’ use of
“sticks to collect ants and termites from their nests, and rocks to smash open
nuts” draws a relationship between a human and chimp’s ability use “cognitive
thinking to problem solve.” Similarities are drawn also in physical
characteristics. The chimpanzee is known to be “Noisy and curious, intelligent
and social” just like humans. The percentage of DNA identity between human and
chimp is extensive. However, the
percentage is not 100% leaving room for physical distinctiveness between the
two organisms. Humans and chimps
have a strong facial resemblance. According to the American Museum
of Natural History, humans and chimps descended from
the same ancestor species six or seven million years ago. The DNA of both
organisms, passed from generations, changed. Many of these DNA changes led to
changes in behavioral and physical appearance.
For more information, visit:
1. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/humanorigins/past/dna.php
2. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0520_030520_chimpanzees.html
3. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13842/the_similarities_and_differences_between.html
4. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0831_050831_chimp_genes.html
5. http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/chimpanzee
Why tamper with evolution by protecting endangered species?
It is said that extinction is a natural occurrence in evolution. Even though this is true, scientist believe that we should still save some species because they are dying before evolution can happen. The extinction of just one species can have a drastic impact on many other species. The only way protecting endangered species could be considered tampering with evolution is by killing species faster than evolution. As said by PBS, “No species exists in a vacuum”, no one species is isolated so every species has an effect on the other.
In today’s society there are many organizations working to save endangered species. These organizations realized that all species play a role in another’s life. If we were to lose a large number of one species there will be no food for the species that feed on them. Which would lead to the death of several species until we are all gone.
Many think of saving endangered species as tampering with evolution as said by Sheila Conant, Professor, and Department of Zoology University of Hawaii. She believes that the endangerment of species is a natural process. She says this because a majority of the time species becomes endangered because their habitat has inadequate food quality or amount. This lowers the chances of an animal’s reproduction, and survival.
When we move an animal for instance
moving polar bears to America because the are endangered that is an example of
tampering with evolution because we are removing the species from its natural
habitat, which is tinkering with its food, and natural reproduction abilities.
Questions
- Is it possible to speed up the process of evolution?
- Do species become extinct not just because they can't survive in the present conditions but because they have no chance of survival in the future ?
Sources
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/faq/cat08.html#Q03
http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/content/101/4/437.abstract
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1310848
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20332163
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/evo_02
Whats up with thumbs?
Everyday we use our hands to do all sorts of task. One of the most important features of our hands is that thing we call a thumb. With the help of having thumbs it has helped humans develop better motor skills. Imagine without our thumbs the things we couldn’t do. Would have our ancestors even developed tools? Would we even be considered as advanced as we are now? Most likely no humans would be. But how did this opposable thing become on our hand become and are there other creatures with similar appendages?
When it comes to looking at the evolution of the thumb it is seen with in Homo erectus or Homo habilis. What cause the thumb to become advanced though in our ancestors? A possible idea is the advancement of walking up right as proposed by Suzanna Kemmer. It is thought that as our ancestors began to walk up right there was now new usage for their hands. From this they created tools and learned to use resources that were around. Another possibility is the development of a gene enhancer known as HACNS1 that was found by Yale scientist. The HACNS1 enhancer is thought of as being a “human-specific gene enhancers, which are switches near genes in the human genome.”
Knowing the possibility of our thumb makes us wonder how certain other animals developed their own thumbs. Primates have four categories that divide them based upon their thumbs. There are non-opposable, pseudo-opposable, opposable and opposable long. What causes their classification of thumbs different from ours is the fact that their thumbs do not fully rotate along its axis like our own does. So categories are divided by the amount of independence the thumb has. Other animals with “thumbs” are Giant Pandas (not a actual thumb but a extra bone that functions as one to help them eat bamboo), certain marsupials (in order to climb and gather food) and most birds also have an opposable digit.
Without the thumb or in the case of other animals with thumb like appendages where would they be? Where would we be? Better yet one should ponder with this special adaptation we have what could possible evolve next from it as an adaptation. Will our thumbs slowly change in shape, size or movement? Or will that happen to another species? Who is to actually say what will happen. All we can do is watch what will take place.
Sources:
http://www.primates.com/faq/index.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=5fttVRAHA4MC&pg=PR11&dq=Ankel-Simons,+Friderun+(2007).+Primate+Anatomy+(3rd+ed.).&hl=en&ei=F4zcTNuyKoL78Aaw9JjrCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=nonopposable%20thumb&f=false
http://www.molecularstation.com/science-news/2008/09/junk-dna-hacns1-discovery/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.1330150203/abstract
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Evol/opposablethumb.html
When it comes to looking at the evolution of the thumb it is seen with in Homo erectus or Homo habilis. What cause the thumb to become advanced though in our ancestors? A possible idea is the advancement of walking up right as proposed by Suzanna Kemmer. It is thought that as our ancestors began to walk up right there was now new usage for their hands. From this they created tools and learned to use resources that were around. Another possibility is the development of a gene enhancer known as HACNS1 that was found by Yale scientist. The HACNS1 enhancer is thought of as being a “human-specific gene enhancers, which are switches near genes in the human genome.”
Knowing the possibility of our thumb makes us wonder how certain other animals developed their own thumbs. Primates have four categories that divide them based upon their thumbs. There are non-opposable, pseudo-opposable, opposable and opposable long. What causes their classification of thumbs different from ours is the fact that their thumbs do not fully rotate along its axis like our own does. So categories are divided by the amount of independence the thumb has. Other animals with “thumbs” are Giant Pandas (not a actual thumb but a extra bone that functions as one to help them eat bamboo), certain marsupials (in order to climb and gather food) and most birds also have an opposable digit.
Without the thumb or in the case of other animals with thumb like appendages where would they be? Where would we be? Better yet one should ponder with this special adaptation we have what could possible evolve next from it as an adaptation. Will our thumbs slowly change in shape, size or movement? Or will that happen to another species? Who is to actually say what will happen. All we can do is watch what will take place.
Sources:
http://www.primates.com/faq/index.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=5fttVRAHA4MC&pg=PR11&dq=Ankel-Simons,+Friderun+(2007).+Primate+Anatomy+(3rd+ed.).&hl=en&ei=F4zcTNuyKoL78Aaw9JjrCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=nonopposable%20thumb&f=false
http://www.molecularstation.com/science-news/2008/09/junk-dna-hacns1-discovery/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.1330150203/abstract
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Evol/opposablethumb.html
Mary Altamuro - Marking Period One
Artist's Statement
I am inspired by details. Once I have arrived at a
concept of what I will create, I am from the outset of the creation of a piece,
highly intuned to the precise placement of each element in that piece. Deciding
how each color relates to the other, complements the other and bounces off one
another is taken into consideration along with the strategic placement of the
items. One of my favorite things to do is take an object, pull it out of its
element, and give it a new perspective. Then, the purpose of the object is
completely different. It may or may not be useful, but it will always evoke
some type of emotion.
I like to use natural elements, and shape and twist them into something that
they were not intended for. I feel that the piece will emit a more honest vibe,
if it was created from something that people may see everyday, but never truly
appreciate. With this approach, it is sometimes hard to envision how the final
product will turn out, but I don't really mind. I feel that the piece will
always turn out to be how it was meant to. I'm just helping it complete its
aesthetic purpose. I see myself as an aide in helping people recognize the true
potential and beauty in commonplace objects.
The process of creating a piece, rather than the actual final product is what
is most important to me. For instance, if painting, I am more likely to slowly
and carefully paint each color that butts up against another than paint one
color over top of the other. I would much rather go through the process of
creating a close detail-oriented piece of work, than just have the overall
piece be quick, easy and generally aesthetically pleasing. And although not
intended, the result of such close detail work is that when someone looks at a
piece, it may seem basic at first, but on closer inspection the details begin
to show themselves. Someone would have to really be paying attention, in order
to truly appreciate my work.
Bottle Cap Poster
An artist named Aurora Robson has been creating
pieces from plastic bottle caps for some time now. We learned about her
in class and about why and how she creates these pieces. Most of them
are reflective of images from nightmares that she used to have. Not
coincidentally, since they are made from plastic bottle caps, (which
can not be recycled) they share a common element with her audience, as
we all share in the nightmare of how we are destroying the Earth with
our nonchalant overuse of plastic. Our class was planning to visit
Aurora and her new exhibit, and we wanted to be helpful to her cause.
So, for our first project we were to create a poster informing people
that the art room would be collecting bottle caps.
The Verb Thief
Welcome to the Completely Serious Spanish Lesson, where everything is completely serious.
LESSON: The Verb Thief
In this lesson you will be able to learn:
In any country, in any language, it is important to be able to distinguish past from present. It is important to be able to ask others about things and to be able to answer questions about things that have already occurred. Being able to do so is a big step in communication and knowing the conjugations is important to being able to accomplish the first three goals. What we are most proud of is the quality of work everyone put in and how interesting the final product is. We really all put out 110% on everything and that level of commitment and collaboration is what truly is the amazing thing about this project. The only thing we wish we could change is the quality of video. In certain parts it gets pretty blurry.
Did our video help you?
Is there anything about our video that we could change to make it better?
What did you like about our video?
Did you learn anything?
The video won't upload, so please click on the link to watch the video.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2205951/The%20Verb%20Thief.mov
LESSON: The Verb Thief
In this lesson you will be able to learn:
- Talk about where he has been
- Talk about what he has done
- Ask others what they were doing
- Conjugate Ar, Er, and Ir verbs in the infinitive form
- Conjugate Yo form ending of verbs ending in Gar, Car or Zar.
In any country, in any language, it is important to be able to distinguish past from present. It is important to be able to ask others about things and to be able to answer questions about things that have already occurred. Being able to do so is a big step in communication and knowing the conjugations is important to being able to accomplish the first three goals. What we are most proud of is the quality of work everyone put in and how interesting the final product is. We really all put out 110% on everything and that level of commitment and collaboration is what truly is the amazing thing about this project. The only thing we wish we could change is the quality of video. In certain parts it gets pretty blurry.
Did our video help you?
Is there anything about our video that we could change to make it better?
What did you like about our video?
Did you learn anything?
The video won't upload, so please click on the link to watch the video.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2205951/The%20Verb%20Thief.mov
The Verb Thief
Welcome to the Completely Serious Spanish Lesson, where everything is completely serious.
LESSON: The Verb Thief
In this lesson you will be able to learn:
In any country, in any language, it is important to be able to distinguish past from present. It is important to be able to ask others about things and to be able to answer questions about things that have already occurred. Being able to do so is a big step in communication and knowing the conjugations is important to being able to accomplish the first three goals. What we are most proud of is the quality of work everyone put in and how interesting the final product is. We really all put out 110% on everything and that level of commitment and collaboration is what truly is the amazing thing about this project. The only thing we wish we could change is the quality of video. In certain parts it gets pretty blurry.
Did our video help you?
Is there anything about our video that we could change to make it better?
What did you like about our video?
Did you learn anything?
The video won't upload, so please click on the link to watch the video.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2205951/The%20Verb%20Thief.mov
LESSON: The Verb Thief
In this lesson you will be able to learn:
- Talk about where he has been
- Talk about what he has done
- Ask others what they were doing
- Conjugate Ar, Er, and Ir verbs in the infinitive form
- Conjugate Yo form ending of verbs ending in Gar, Car or Zar.
In any country, in any language, it is important to be able to distinguish past from present. It is important to be able to ask others about things and to be able to answer questions about things that have already occurred. Being able to do so is a big step in communication and knowing the conjugations is important to being able to accomplish the first three goals. What we are most proud of is the quality of work everyone put in and how interesting the final product is. We really all put out 110% on everything and that level of commitment and collaboration is what truly is the amazing thing about this project. The only thing we wish we could change is the quality of video. In certain parts it gets pretty blurry.
Did our video help you?
Is there anything about our video that we could change to make it better?
What did you like about our video?
Did you learn anything?
The video won't upload, so please click on the link to watch the video.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2205951/The%20Verb%20Thief.mov
The Verb Thief
Welcome to the Completely Serious Spanish Lesson, where everything is completely serious.
LESSON: The Verb Thief
In this lesson you will be able to learn:
In any country, in any language, it is important to be able to distinguish past from present. It is important to be able to ask others about things and to be able to answer questions about things that have already occurred. Being able to do so is a big step in communication and knowing the conjugations is important to being able to accomplish the first three goals. What we are most proud of is the quality of work everyone put in and how interesting the final product is. We really all put out 110% on everything and that level of commitment and collaboration is what truly is the amazing thing about this project. The only thing we wish we could change is the quality of video. In certain parts it gets pretty blurry.
Did our video help you?
Is there anything about our video that we could change to make it better?
What did you like about our video?
Did you learn anything?
The video won't upload, so please click on the link to watch the video.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2205951/The%20Verb%20Thief.mov
LESSON: The Verb Thief
In this lesson you will be able to learn:
- Talk about where he has been
- Talk about what he has done
- Ask others what they were doing
- Conjugate Ar, Er, and Ir verbs in the infinitive form
- Conjugate Yo form ending of verbs ending in Gar, Car or Zar.
In any country, in any language, it is important to be able to distinguish past from present. It is important to be able to ask others about things and to be able to answer questions about things that have already occurred. Being able to do so is a big step in communication and knowing the conjugations is important to being able to accomplish the first three goals. What we are most proud of is the quality of work everyone put in and how interesting the final product is. We really all put out 110% on everything and that level of commitment and collaboration is what truly is the amazing thing about this project. The only thing we wish we could change is the quality of video. In certain parts it gets pretty blurry.
Did our video help you?
Is there anything about our video that we could change to make it better?
What did you like about our video?
Did you learn anything?
The video won't upload, so please click on the link to watch the video.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2205951/The%20Verb%20Thief.mov
Fossils: How much do they indicate? Do they tell the whole story?
Tajh Jenkins
Fossils are witness to the discontinuity, the complexity and the stability of past life forms. When it comes to evolution, fossils are viewed as one of the most important sources of information about the Earth’s past as well as different species past. Fossils are indicators of age (age of rocks and species and animals in which they are found), Earth movements (such as mountain building), ancient geography (former positions of continents), past environments (what the environment was like when the fossil organisms were alive), and the evolution of life (the evolution of life on earth). Fossils give us a showing of Earth’s long history and the all of the changes that it and its species have experienced.
Resources that helped me:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/21586403/What-Does-a-Fossil-Tell-Us
http://www.icr.org/article/real-nature-fossil-record/
http://www.ucg.org/booklets/EV/creation-evolution-fossil-record.asp
http://www.trilobita.de/english/intro.html
http://www.biologos.org/questions/fossil-record/
Science & Society
First Quarter Benchmark
Research Question: How much information do fossils indicate about a species evolution? Do they tell the whole story?
I changed my question because my original question just wasn't working out.Fossils are witness to the discontinuity, the complexity and the stability of past life forms. When it comes to evolution, fossils are viewed as one of the most important sources of information about the Earth’s past as well as different species past. Fossils are indicators of age (age of rocks and species and animals in which they are found), Earth movements (such as mountain building), ancient geography (former positions of continents), past environments (what the environment was like when the fossil organisms were alive), and the evolution of life (the evolution of life on earth). Fossils give us a showing of Earth’s long history and the all of the changes that it and its species have experienced.
Based on
this information one would think that fossils are probably the most reliable
source of evolution. That is not true. Over time, fossil records have been
misinterpreted and have not been able to tell the whole story of evolution.
Scientist have been able to point out gaps in fossil record history, proving
that some fossil theories are invalid. They say that fossil records fail to illustrate
what are called “Transitional Forms” which are the in-between stages of a
creature that evolved into another.
Fossil
records surely do have gaps because of the conditions required to create
fossils have been rare ever since life began on earth. A small percentage of
animals that have lived and died have become fossils. Many puzzles of the
pieces are missing and some may not be found. With that being said, scientists
have been able to discover the evolutionary transitions between fish and
amphibians, reptiles and mammals, dinosaurs and birds, and lineages such as
whales and horses. Fossils have always proved to show existence, but it’s not consistent
in showing evolution.
When we
look at a fossil it doesn’t tell use where it came from or how it was formed.
That why fossils still allow us to ask questions about its origin, we can suggest
answer these questions by discovering circumstantial evidences.
Resources that helped me:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/21586403/What-Does-a-Fossil-Tell-Us
http://www.icr.org/article/real-nature-fossil-record/
http://www.ucg.org/booklets/EV/creation-evolution-fossil-record.asp
http://www.trilobita.de/english/intro.html
http://www.biologos.org/questions/fossil-record/
Humans: Converting From Omnivores To Herbivores
Humans eating meat dates back to habits used by the Australopithecus. Through out the span of around 5 million years humans have gained certain tools to aid us in eating meat. Humans have adapted sharper teeth that allow us to tear through meat easier, but what if due to the growing diseases that are being carried by animals, humans as a whole began to convert to veganism (vegetarians)? Would the teeth that have helped us chew meat begin to fade out of the human race?
Ever since early man, meat has been a part of humans diets. Of course 5 million years ago meat probably wasn't as carefully prepared as it is now. Through out the 5 million years of our existence we have gained a few tools to aid us in consuming and digesting meat. First we gained two sets of teeth, one set on the upper row of teeth, and one set on the lower set of teeth that are sharper than others and help tear meat, we have also gained the ability to digest carbohydrates and fats better.
In a study done by the University Medical Center in Dallas Texas, there are some characteristics that humans have that also resemble those of plant eating species. Most carnivorous species have small intestines that are around 3 times their body length, and most herbivorous species have small intestines that are around 12 times their body length and humans small intestines are closer in length to those of herbivores species.
If humans as a whole began to cut meat out of their diets a few things would began to change, the sets of sharpened teeth would no longer be needed so they would begin to fade away through the generations. Also humans would possibly lose their ability to digest fats and carbohydrates as well, which would mean carbohydrates would become less common.
After looking over the various tools and adaptations humans have gained in order to consume and digest meat, it has become apparent that if those tools and adaptations aren't used they will begin to show less and less in newer generations. Which means that humans will begin to lose the teeth that we have gained to help us eat meat.
Here are some links that aided me in my research
http://www.rense.com/general20/meant.htm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0218_050218_human_diet.html
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/674/are-humans-meat-eaters-or-vegetarians-by-nature
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4122-meat-eating-is-an-old-human-habit.html
While doing this research I began to form a question in my head that seems to me would be interesting to research, why can't humans just live off of fruit? A lot of fruits can give us the necessary sugars needed for survive, and for all of the other necessities humans can just rely on vegetables? Just a thought.
The Evolution of a Penguin
In the 21st century, many humans wonder why Penguins are so unique. James Randerson says " They have a dinner-suit plumage and waddling gait, penguins are among the most unusual and endearing members of the bird kingdom." Something has caused penguins to change. The scientific community has researched the changes, finding evidence that supports the Penguins evolution. In the beginning, scientists believed that penguins evolved from a flying bird that dated back to 150-million-year-old Archaeopteryx. According to Bnet.com, Ornithologists agree that, "Their closest living relatives appear to be an albatross, the graceful, soaring birds celebrated for their ocean-spanning trips in search of food for their young, says Marcel van Tuinen." Why is it that Penguins can not fly and how have they evolved?
The reason why Penguins cannot fly in the "Air" is because of their habitat. During the time of their evolution from a flying bird, they didn't need the ability to fly. Usually flying birds have hollow bones because they decrease the weight of the bird. A decreased weight equals a smoother flight for the bird. In the case of the Penguin, its wings are heavier so they can move through the water more rapidly. Many scientists would say that they "Fly" through water. Other researchers believe that Penguins evolved because of micro-evolution. It was used regarding because penguins were forced out of their normal habitat and because of that, they had to interbreed with members of different colonies. One idea, from MSNBC, was that "the breakup of mega-icebergs was blocking the swim paths of penguins and forcing them to migrate to more accessible colonies." Today, most species of the Penguin live in the Southern Hemisphere. The Penguin life varies from species to species.
Penguins live abundantly on many temperate and sub-Antarctic islands. Depending on where the Penguin is located determines its body structure. Galapagos penguins, which do not have the normal thick body structure, are located on tropical islands at the equator. Compared that to the emperor penguins that have a very thick layer of body fat , which are restricted to the pack ice of Antarctica. With all of the research done by scientists, similar to humans, there is still a missing link as to how Penguins have evolved, but only time will tell.
Sources :
http://www.penguins-world.com/penguin-evolution.htmlhttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_22_166/ai_n8576738/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/jun/26/fossils.uknews/print
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9967766/
http://media.photobucket.com/image/penguins/kremar15/Penguins.jpg
"Hanuman Langurs: Evolution and Social Behavior"
How Does Evolution Impact the Social Behavior of Hanuman
Langurs?
The Hanuman Langur is an Asian monkey; whose social behavior is
uncanny. Their troops consist of both males and females numbering around 125.
The head male—of a troop where there is one male—is competing with other males
to maintain his position as leader. When a group of males overthrow the leader
—so to speak—they kill his offspring. After that “ritual” one male becomes they
new leader. That male then mates with the females of the troop and the process
is repeated. The males gain a reproductive advantage because the females are at
their maximum sexual receptivity when they lose their offspring.
· This species is
vulnerable to infanticide.
· Males attack the
infants only if they were not present at the time of contraception.
· The males are
usually protective of their offspring, however some still kill their own young.
· Ecology pressures
that influence sex ratio populations also affect group size and social
structure.
· Increasing the Hanuman Langur troop size might prevent takeover and infanticide.
Questions for Research
What does the social behavior of hanuman langur imply about
evolutionary desires to be a leader or at an advantage by any means?
What does this behavior say about evolution in general?
Hanuman Langur selectivity and evolution…
Sources
www.eva.mpg.de/ipse/pdfs/Ostner_etal2006.pdf
http://chapmanresearch.mcgill.ca/publications.html
http://www.theprimata.com/semnopithecus_entellus.html
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/hanumanlangurs.html
Little Bill
Disease: Evolution in Humans Vs. Animals
Question: How do diseases in animals and diseases in humans show the different evolutionary paths that we have gone down and what does it say about our immune systems?
Animals and humans can get the same diseases but to my knowledge there are some diseases that we are immune to that they aren't and vice versa. Humans have had an advantage for the past century or so with having plumbing access to for the most part clean water and other means to prevent and fight diseases. Penicillin and amoxicillin are among pills that are made to fight and prevent diseases. Animals on the other hand have evolved in the wild where they have to rely on natural selection and how they have evolved to adapt in their environments to fight off sickness and disease.
Zoonotic diseases are diseases naturally able to transfer from animals to humans and vice versa. This shows that we share some of the same immune system capabilities as animals. For instance it is known that while sharks are able to get cancer their immune system prevents cancer/tumors from being able to grow.The recent Swine Flu outbreak is recent evidence of this resulting in many people becoming ill and around 12,000 actual deaths in the U.S. in the recent 2009-2010 outbreaks, and shows how diseases originate in animals and transfer to humans. AIDS however is a disease that cannot from my knowledge and research thus far, be contracted by animals except for in chimps. Is this because of our DNA similarities and because of the similar evolutionary path that we have gone down? Also, how has the evolutionary path of diseases influence how and who it effects between animals and humans? What about the sharks? Has evolving in the ocean over these millions of years gave them a sort of advantage from not letting cancer or tumors progress?
These following links show other diseases and how either vaccines are similar or animals and humans can contract similar diseases.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7270562.stm
http://www.mrmcmed.org/aids.html
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/immune.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=imm&part=A1480
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v248/n5446/abs/248344a0.html
http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/p_bite_on_cancer.htm
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/aboutp/pets/zoonoses.html
How has the stereotypical role of a women developed an evolutionary basis?
Since the beginning of time,
women and men were on two different scales. Women are usually the housekeepers
and did not have much say in society. Because they are the housekeepers and
produce milk for their young this is an evolutionary basis.
For some animals there are males that
produce milk or lactate, just as a woman does. I would consider this an
evolutionary basis as well because this is usually something that happens in
women. Or what should only happen in women.
Just as human women produce, there are
other animals species who are able to produce as well. Although this is true,
the reproductive system is different for all. Animals can reproduce more than
one child at a time. For example a fish can have multiple babies at one time,
but human women can only have one baby at a time or if they or their partner
carry the gene, can have twins which isn’t as common in the human population.
It’s also different with breastfeeding. There are some male animals who lactate
and human men are able to lactate as well.
One of those animals is The Dayak fruit
bat is a bat that produces milk, but this is a normal function of the bat. Also
there is a male goat that produces milk on occasion. According to an article
called Male Lacation by Professor Patty
Stuart Macadam. Human men are able to lacate after having a baby suck on
the nipple after several weeks. This shows the evolution of the human women
role to it being passed on to men.
There are also other male mammals that
do not lactate but have the role of the “stay at home,” the Deer Mice is one of
these. According to NOVA Online, the Deer Mice guard the young while the other
goes out to eat This shows how the roles of the partners can be switched up,
for different reasons.
In
human society, this is not the case with men. Men cannot reproduce but they are
the reasons on why reproduction is possible. It shows how closely related we
are with animals but how we are also different.
Further
questions:
Why
are there mammals that take on the role of the “stay at home” but are not able
to lactate?
Why can the Dayak fruit bat lactate but not breast-feed? What is the propose?
Citations:
Comparison, By. "Statistics Bureau." Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c02cont.htm>.
Shanley, Laura. "Milkmen: Fathers Who Breastfeed." Bornfree! Laura Shanley's Unassisted Childbirth Page. 27 Sept. 2007. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/miscarticles/milkmen.html>.
De'Lesha's Art.
Why
don’t we recycle? There are many answers to this question but yet it is still a
question we have. Recycling is something we should to make sure our environment
is in good condition for everything that needs to be done. In art class we
needed to create something that dealt with recycling for us and that meant
something to us. Well for this project I decided to use shoeboxes and the
tissue paper that comes in the boxes. I made a question mark out of the tissue paper and put it on
the box in a 3d view.
Not many people recycle these things. They want to but they keep their shoeboxes and then when they are tired of them they just throw them away. Sometimes intentional other times just wanting the space and not caring. So I wanted to do something that would mean something to me. I really like sneakers and I didn’t use to recycle them either. But when I realized what effect it was having on the environment I changed that.
The boxes are just something I needed so that it can hold the question mark. I made a question mark because it’s asking the question why. It’s making a silent but very loud statement trying to figure out why people don’t recycle these things. I made the question mark 3d because I wanted it to pop so that people will be able to see it. I wanted people to look at it and get that feeling of “why?” If people do that then I will have accomplished my message.
