Reflection on Evolution essay

Reflectionon Evolution

Reflectionon Evolution

Inthe article entitled, “TheQuiet Evolution of Trees,”McLamb (2009) outlines how the trees came into existence. He arguesthat animals and plants were initially scattered on earth and relatesthe existence of trees to oceans and shorelines. The author believesthat the first tree evolved millions of years ago from the aquaticorigin and led to the growth of other trees. The ocean is alsoattributed to the existence of the first aquatic animal billions ofyears ago. The trees are, therefore, estimated to have evolvedsilently as plants and animals evolved and are attributed to theevolution of life on the planet. One learns from McLamb (2009) thatlife existence on planet earth about 550 million years ago. Thisperiod has been known as the Cambrian explosion. It is estimated thatland plants evolved 90 million years later after the existence ofaquatic plants 500 million years ago. Trees are said to have evolved100 million years after the evolution of land plants. The oceanability to protect and nature aquatic plants and animals is said tohave resulted in the evolution of other plants and animals. The majorlesson from this article regards the period of evolution as well asthe estimated ages of trees.

Theother lesson from this article regards the belief that plants createdthe way for the evolution of animals on the earth surface. This wasdue to their ability to produce oxygen in high percentages in theatmosphere and reduce greenhouse carbon dioxide which they consumedthrough photosynthesis. Algae are believed to have moved from theocean to marshy and wetlands hence forming the first land plants. Theiron clad surface of the earth was, however, Brocken by the evolutionof earth processes and the growth of roots of the trees (McLamb,2009).

Thesecond article has attributed evolution to the ghost stories from theice age, which outlines the different plants that were hunted bylarge mammals from another era (Barlow &amp Rothman, 2001). Barlowand Rothman (2001) noted that the purpose of thorns on mesquitesoriginated from hunting of fruit plants 13000 years ago. The authorsargue that big fruited plants of northern hemispheres must have losttheir animal allies hence dispersed their seed to the planet earth. Agood example is a guard bearing vine Cucurbita, which was theprecursor of domesticated squashes and pumpkins. The plants arespread by tires treads and floodwaters to other parts of the earthhence their existence. The Osage orange Maclura pomifera is famouslynamed the American breadfruit because of its Asian counterpartresemblance. The fruit is used by humans all over North America wherethe tree was fist noted. It is believed that the ranch horses thatconsume the fruit dispersed it hence its existence in other parts ofthe world. The cactus fruit and the wild avocados are believed tohave been dispersed by animal’s hippopotamus and camel respectivelythrough defecation to other parts of the planet (Barlow &ampRothman, 2001).

Thethird article published in the New York Times talks about theoptimism of the American Society on the creation aspect of evolutionas outlined in the Bible (Judson, 2008). Judson (2008) attaches thisaspect as he outlines the reasons why evolution is supposed to betaught in class. He notes that this perspective of evolution explainsit as though it’s not part of biology. According to Judson (2008),evolution is supposed to be taken seriously and be the first lessonsin the biology curriculum. He argues that evolution connects thefacts in biology since it talks about trees, lichens, and theirsignificance. The second reason the writer attaches to the teachingof evolution is that its relevance is immediate as the evolution ofother plants and animals continues to happen. One learns that thestudy of Evolution has also helped in the preservation of species ofdifferent plants and animals. It also helped in the cultivation ofspecific plants (Judson, 2008).

Therelevance of evolution in agriculture has been attributed to thediscovery of fertilizers and the application of biotechnology toadvance production and farming. The development of pesticides hasalso increased the crop production through the study of evolution andexistence of plants and animals. The evolution of biological systems,insects, diseases and fertilizers has led to evolution and discoveryof new technologies of handling the challenges. As a result, muchimprovement in agricultural sectors has been achieved ranging frommass production of genetically engineered crops and animals throughbiotechnology among others (University of California, n.d).

Evolutionhas also played a significant role in the conservation of species aslearned from this article. The limited resources and competitionamong different organisms have been identified through studies ofevolution. This has enabled conservation of endangered and extinctplants and animals for diversity and continued the existence ofparticular species. History of changes in biological systems hasplayed a critical role in consecration and contribution of evolutiontowards the realization of conservation mechanism for differentorganisms like fish. The methods of conserving threatened populationof plants and animals have been derived from the study of the pastand present lifestyles of the species and their other evolutionaryrelated history (University of California, n.d).

References

Barlow,C., &amp Rothman, M. (2001). Ghoststories from the ice age.Retrieved

http://www.thegreatstory.org/ghost.pdf&nbsp

Judson,O. (2008). Optimismin evolution.Retrieved fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/opinion/13judson.html?ribbon-ad-idx=4&amprref=world&amp_r=0&ampmodule=ArrowsNav&ampcontentCollection=Opinion&ampaction=swipe&ampregion=FixedRight&amppgtype=article

McLamb,E. (2009). Thequiet evolution of trees.Retrieved fromhttp://bloomedacacia.blogspot.com/2009/03/quiet-evolution-of-trees.html

Universityof California. (n.d). Relevanceof evolution: Conservation.Retrieved fromhttp://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/conservation_01

Universityof California. (n.d). Relevanceof evolution: Agriculture.Retrieved fromhttp://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/agriculture_01