Its Getting Hot in Here...

Heat is an environment stress that effects us all. Heat can very much cause discomfort and harm to the human body. If an environment gets too hot, living beings can actually die from the effects.

First, a reaction to heat is sweating. Sweating is our body's natural way of wetting the skin so the air can cool us down. Heat can also be discomforting in the way it can burn our skin. It can have the effect of a light pinkish-red color all the way up to the painful blistering, which I've unfortunately have had personal experience with. this tends to affect lighter tone skins more do to the fact of lower pigmentation in the skin. I have also personally witnessed the third effect which is heat stroke where the body becomes overheated and the organs and body functions start to shut down. Depending on the level of heat exposure, our bodies can actually shut down at certain levels.

A short term adaption to heat would be the process of sweating because it quickly provides the body with a counter attack on the heats affects. It doesn't alter our genes in any way, it just helps cool us down.

That being said, I also think that sweating can be a Facultative adaption because sweating lasts until the heat goes away but our body is still cooling down minutes after. It takes longer to stop sweating and to cool down than it did to get hot and to start sweating.

Darker skin can be the developmental adaption because the hotter and more sun exposed locations will produce more golden and sun kissed skin tones than places where there is minimal sun exposer and it rains a lot. In a place like that there might be more pale and lighter skin tones. Even if a lighter skinned person lives in a sun exposed area they are more likely to get burnt damaging their skin, which leads to preventatives like sun screen and big hats.

Cultural adaptions are a bit creative. From what I've seen in our California culture, to escape the heat a water source is the go to escape. A lake, a pool, the ocean, some sprinklers; anything will do when it comes to staying cool. For others who hate bodies of water as humans we have created air conditioners and fans to soothe discomfort. I also think that cultural adaptions we have are big hats and sunscreen like I mentioned before but also umbrellas and canopies, etc.

The benefits of studying heat adaptions
by humans is to learn how to better our ways of surviving and adapting to the heat. Especially with the problems of global warming and climates changes it is beneficial to know what can help us survive through all conditions.



Environmental influences are better to study than race because studying the environment gives us all the people that live there not just one race. Because each climate is different just like how each individual is different even from the same race it combines the people living in an area together rather than a race which can be distributed over continents. By studying it this way, the group of people living in that environment will have something in common .. the environment. No matter what race they will have the environment in common which will help in the research of the effect of heat on individuals in that climate.

Have to stay cool one way or another! :)

 

To Speak or Not To Speak...

No Symbolic Language

• I found this part of the experiment to be slightly difficult but not as hard as I thought part 2 was. I am actually taking a Sign Language class this semester so I found it hard not being able to use that form of language alongside not being able to speak. I found myself fluctuating my tone of sounds a lot to get my partners attention and show what I was trying to express. No words, but a lot of hums, mmms, and small noises and pointing (A LOT OF POINTING). My partners got most of the things I was saying but none of the more complex ideas. It proved difficult for them.
• I caught my partners humming a few times and pointing more than when we were just talking before we started the experiment. We got a good laugh after the 15 minutes. They could have been just making fun of me but from previous class experiments I think my actions were rubbing off on them after a few minutes. It was interesting to see how I tried to figure out ways to express my ideas and thoughts to my partners and how they tried to figured out what I meant without my saying it.
• I don't think that 2 different languages would have an advantage in communicating ideas in an outside environment. I think they would both have a disadvantage because neither one understands each others culture or language. Unless one of the cultures went to the other cultures community and was surrounded by other individuals of that culture then I could see how one culture/language would have an advantage over the other.
• The individual from the speaking culture might find the speechless culture ignorant or not as intelligent as them because they have a "less structured" language or lack there of. As humans I think we tend to take misunderstanding as stupidity or ignorance when that is not the case.
• I actually have a personal story of a time at my job when a deaf couple came into my store and were trying to ask where a certain item was. At that time I only knew minimal sign language so I ended up using my finger to point and written language to guide them through the store. This encounter actually encouraged me to take my sign class. When interacting with those who don't speak our own language we resort to new ways of communication such as hand motions etc. where sometimes we have to get creative and out of our box to close the language barrier.

No Physical Language

• In all I did finish the 15 minutes but I admit I stopped about 6-7 times because I found it so difficult to do. I felt like a robot and a person in a straight jacket not being able to move or get excited. Not being able to move my hands was the absolute hardest thing to do for me personally because I am a very eccentric person in my expressions. Keeping a mono tone and not fluctuating my tone of voice was challenging as well also because I am usually an eccentric talker, as my friends like to say!
• My partners couldn't stop laughing because I was having a hard time trying to not move or fluctuate which in turn didn't help me and probably caused half of my 6-7 pauses. They could hardly keep a conversation going because they said it was weird to talk to me when I was so stoic.
• Using signs and tone of voice help explain our story and express the feelings we are trying to portray about the topic at hand. Using non-language signs gives the people we are talking to a glimpse into our actual feelings about what we are talking about; it shows how excited, mad, sad, happy we are about something and its important because we can say certain things that can be either happy or sad or good or bad and our expression and actions show the difference.
• People who are blind are unable to read body language which sometimes can be a disadvantage. Being able to read body language can be useful in a dangerous or stressful situations or also if someone is lying. For example Reading body language is key for police when they are interrogating someone who could or could not be lying about a crime. Also reading body language can protect someone from a stranger maybe trying to harm or commit a crime upon someone.

This experiment truly was an eye opener. I never realized how loud I was and how much I move my hands. It was so hard to alter my way of expressing that it was almost agonizing to do because I was forcing myself so hard not to do what I am so accustomed to. It was really cool and interesting to see how others and myself reacted to this fun language experiment!

Fraud Fossils Found in Piltdown

The Piltdown man was the first fossilized being to be found in England in the early 1900’s. It was an epic discovery for the people of England because up until that point there had been no early remains of ancient beings in England, just in places like Africa, Asia, France and Germany. The man that found the fossilized man was Charles Dawson who was an amateur archaeologist seeking fame and recognition. The jaw of the fossil was very ape-like in its shape but had teeth like a human, leading to the conclusion that this being could be the connection between humans and apes. Dawson brought a well renowned geologist, Sir Arthur Smith Woodward, to work with him in digging for more fossils at Piltdown. He believed that Piltdown man was a crucial step in to finding more about the ancient English ancestors. For years, Dawson Woodward and a few others dug and found multiple parts of the fossilized being and a few others. Scientist cheered for the findings of these fossilized bones. For about forty years, these fossils were held in the Natural History Museum under fierce guard where few cool analyze or view the bones. In 1953, a thorough test on the fossils proved that Piltdown was a hoax and the bones had been altered. The teeth were filed down to look human, the skull was only about 100 years old, and the jaw belonged to a female orangutan, not an ancient male. The, up to forty, findings at Piltdown were proven to be forged and planted there. Dawson was the first and prime suspect do to the fact that he found most of the “fossils” particularly the first and last findings.

Naturally as humans we all make mistakes and in the case of the Piltdown man it was no different. Steps were not taken by the scientific community to prove or disprove the authenticity of the fossils which then lead to more astonishment when 40 years later they were discovered as falsified. This falsification lead to the argument that if fossils could be faked that the whole theory of evolution could be a fraud theory. In the case of Piltdown man, some scientists were skeptical but many scientist flat out accepted the remains as a ground breaking finding, that being said I think that is why they didn’t try to disprove it. Scientists wanted so badly to find ancient English remains that they didn’t want the fossils to be fake. The discovery of the fossils being a hoax rocked the scientific community but it bettered their skills to test and question all findings to authenticate and prove them. It just forced scientist to be more careful and diligent in their work and to not except something as true without consistent evidence to prove true.

To reveal that the skull was a fraud scientist looked at every inch and crevice of the skull to find inconsistencies. First, they used a fluorine absorption test only to prove that the fossils were way younger than they perceived, less than 100,000 years old. They discovered that the jaw bone was female and belonged to an orangutan with the teeth filed down to look human, viewed by a microscope to see even the small scrapes. This was proven by the scratch marks found all around the teeth. The jaw was also altered by making cuts with a steel knife or blade to hide the tell-tale signs of ape jaw structure. To make the bones look older in outer appearance, they were stained making them look aged or brown in color.

I absolutely believe there is no way to remove the “human” aspect from science. Without humans, there wouldn’t be the study of living things or how things work or life in general, and it’s that curiosity that lead to the knowledge we have today. Yes, it was human mistake that lead to the believing of the Piltdown man but it was also human curiosity and study to prove the fossils fraud. The human mind is a mystery in itself and with it mankind has discovered, proven and disproven many things and I think if we removed the human aspect from science we would plateau in our findings, discoveries and knowledge.

Personally, I think a life lesson about not taking things at face value is research for essays. Many people still think Wikipedia is a reliable source, when in reality anyone can change the information on the site in question. This reminds me of how Dawson took items and changed them to seem like real fossils. The life lesson is to check your resources before you believe the message portrayed. Do your own research on the source and make sure the information you are reading is the truth. Cliché as it is, don’t judge a book by its cover, can also be applied to this as well.

Planent of the Apes...With different Locomotor skills!

1. Lemurs
a. Lemurs are only found on the Comoro and Madagascar Islands.
Some have been found to live in the dry and hot areas but the     majority live in the rainforest where it is overgrown and there are plenty of tree and more food. Lemurs like to eat mostly flowers, leaves and insects. They adapt very easily so they use any environment to their advantage.

b. A lemur's locomotor pattern is how it jumps from branch to branch on the trees balancing themselves with their extra long tails. Unlike their primate cousins, lemurs use their arms and legs only to grab onto branches.

c. Lemur's locomotor patterns have adapted with the environment by the way their tails are used to provide them with more balance instead of being used as an extra limb. Also, how their arms and legs have adapted to move them swiftly and efficiently from treetop to treetop.


2. Spider Monkey
a. They are typically found in the tropical rain forests around Mexico, and South and Central America. Like the lemur, the spider monkey finds its meals in the trees. They like to eat spiders, fruit, bird eggs and plants. As a survival technique, the spider monkey has acquired a loud screech to alert of danger, which can echo throughout the forest.

b. Their locomotor pattern is the way they use all five limbs to travel; two arms, two legs, and one strong tail. They have an abbreviated thumb and long fingers to assure a tight grip on the branches. They also use their tail to grip onto branches if they need a little extra reach.

c. Adaption has occurred do to the tall forest environment, by making their tails a truly useful limb, helping with travel and food collection. By having the tail, the spider monkey is able to hang from a branch and collect food with both hands and feet if necessary. Their elongated fingers also gift them with speed and agility.

 3. Baboon
a. The majority of baboons love dry climates and can be seen in the Savanna but some have also been known to hang around the rain forest. They eat simply; fruits, grass, birds and rodents. Unlike the lemurs and spider monkeys, baboons like to hangout on the ground but they do venture into a tree for sleep and protection from predators.

b. Baboons walk on the ground on all fours or quadrupedally. They are semi-terrestrial creatures which means they walk on ground during the day and by night they climb the tress to sleep, which is the main reason they don't require a tail. They don't have a long tail like their primate cousins because they don't need it for travel or for balance because they are always on the ground.

c. Environment plays a big part in the baboons adaption because unlike the other primates he doesn't need a tail to swing from the trees. He only sleeps in the trees so he has a big butt instead so he can sit on his rock and branches.


4. Gibbons
a. Also known as a lesser ape, do to their small frame, the gibbons are found in the sub-tropical and tropical rain forests of South, East and Southeast Asia. They enjoy anything from birds and their eggs to spiders and flowers and fruits. They live solely in the treetops and are quick in transport and to avoid predators.

b. Gibbons locomotor patterns appears more advanced than those of his primate cousins in their ability to walk upright (using their arms like a tightrope walker to keep balance) on branches. But majority of the time they brachiate or swing under branches with a hand over hand motion.

c. The gibbons adapted to their environment by having strong, long arms to keep them traveling through the treetops to find food and shelter. There is really no necessity to go to the ground for any reason but their ability to walk upright helps them avoid predators when they are lower to the ground.

5. Chimpanzee
a. They can be found in the woodlands, grasslands, and rain forests of Africa. Chimps mostly feast on fruits and plants in true vegetarian form. They live their lives very nonchalant and peaceful, roaming their territories day in and day out.

b. The locomotor patterns of a chimpanzee is mostly walking around. Walking upright or walking on all fours (called knuckle walkers, same as gorillas). With their long and strong arms they can also swing from branches to travel, find food, or to sleep in trees.

c. They adapted to their environment by being able to swing from trees as well as being able to walk both upright and quadrupedally, which helps them in both the grasslands and the forests and for both leisure and survival.


Each primate has distinctive but very similar traits but do to their completely different environments, they have adapted or enhanced certain traits to work in their favor. Which leads me to believe that environment has drastic influence on traits of a certain species. We see in each of these primates how hands and feet are used in different ways depending on location and tail usage or lack there of. Its very interesting to see the differences and similarities in traits in such similar but opposite animals.  

Completely Different? Maybe Not!

1. Species with Homologous Traits:
       a. Two different species that possess homologous traits are dolphins and humans. Dolphins and humans happen to both be mammals but one lives in the ocean and the other on dry land. Dolphins seemingly have the structure of a fish but are actually more closely related to human anatomy surprisingly.
       b. When looking from the outside, a dolphins fin and a humans arm look completely different, but when looking internally you find undeniable similarities. Each structure possesses the same bone formation; phalanges, carpals, ulna, radius and humerus. These structures in the dolphin help it move swiftly through the water and to communicate with other dolphins. A humans arm, as we all know, use are arms to lift, grab, climb, hold, etc.
       c.  Some say that, humans at one point in evolution went through a semi-aquatic state but then evolved to survive on land. In my opinion its possible that apes evolved from dolphin-like creatures and then we evolved from apes .

 

2. Species with Analogous Traits

        a. Two species with analogous traits are the dolphin and the shark. I like to use the dolphin again because of its similarities to both fish and mammal.

        b. Dolphin and sharks obviously have very similar body structures; a dorsal fin, two pectoral fins, and a dorsal fin. On both animals the fins act in the same ways to move the animal and keep it agile and swift in the water.

        c. Even with such obvious similarities, these two ocean dwellers cannot have a common ancestor because one is a mammal (breathes air) and one is a fish (has gills).

 



Mission Impossible: Can you Decipher this Code?

   ATTGTACAATCAAGTGATATGAACAGTACAAGTTATAGTCCTGTTACCGATTTGGATCGCCG

Lamarkism

Jean- Baptiste Lamark (1744-1829) had an immense influence on Charles Darwin's theory of adaptive radiation and instincts. Lamark's research on the changing of plants and animals over time and for self- improvement and survival gave Darwin the platform to expand on this belief. The theory proposed by Lamark stated that because of varying environmental demands or threats, living things had to change and evolve to survive. This belief directly coincides with Darwin's research of finches, birds that lived in the cluster of Galapagos Islands. His research there showed how each island had finches but each separate group of finches on the different islands had modified characteristics based on location. Lamark's theory was laughed at by colleagues in his time but Darwin proved it to be very true.

In his life time, Lamark, never was recognized for his great findings but his contributions to science set way for the findings of not only Darwin but Lyell and Haeckel, whom all added on to the theory of adaption. Lamark was actually a professor of the natural history of insects and worms and in this field he coined the term "invertebrates" which didn't exist at the time and he made huge advances in forming the classifications of the animal and insect kingdom. As his theories and work are still used today it is sad that he didn't live to see his work being put to such extensive use.

Lamark’s theory was actually rather complex but it stated that if the environment changes, the traits that are adaptive or helpful are different and in order for traits to evolve and change, they must be heritable. He believed that organisms only change if the environment changes and there is a necessity to survive but it is a gradual species change. Altered behavior or action leads to increasing or decreasing use in organs and limbs which in turn would alter features. But he also thought that these new traits were passed down to their offspring which was disproved but I think this idea gave Darwin a light bulb in his head to look more into how species evolved from similar ancestors.

I think that Darwin would have eventually ended up developing his theory of natural selection without the influence of Lamark. That being said,  all of the work and research Lamark did, gave Darwin the blueprint to say, this makes sense or this doesn't seem right. So I think Lamark's theories pushed Darwin into finding out more about how natural selection and adaption really works. Darwin doesn't necessarily have the same view points as Lamark but they are very similar or expanded because of more research and theory.

I’m surprised to say that the Catholic Church was pretty neutral and indifferent at the time of Darwin’s book release. I’m not surprised that they eventually came out with anti-evolution rants and enthusiastically opposed Darwin’s theories and beliefs. It only took them a couple decades. With the Church’s belief in God’s creation of the world and all living things in it and Darwin’s belief in evolution there was opposition to the conflicting beliefs.

 

 

Information received from: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/lamarck.html