As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains

Timothy Cushman

AP Biology

Current Event #6

October 29, 2017

“As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront

As winter approaches many animals choose to migrate to warmer climates or hibernate throughout the winter. Studies have found a new method used, by the red-toothed shrews, to survive the winter. The shrews shrink their skulls, brains, and other organs during the winter. A study was done with red-toothed shrews to test how their mass changes during different seasons. In the study, researchers trapped the shrews in Germany from the summer of 2014 - fall of 2015. They put a microchip into the animals and measured twelve of them on three occasions. Through the study, they found that when watching the body mass over the summer, winter, and spring there was an 18 percent overall decrease in the body mass of the shrews as the temperature got colder. The brain and skull alone experiencing a 20 percent decrease. When the temperature started to warm up again, the shrews’ masses increased to what they had been before. The researches do not know why the shrews bodies shrink in the winter but they know that “brain tissue is energetically very expensive, so reducing overall brain size might decrease energy demands and thus food requirements.” Therefore by reducing the body size and needing less energy allows the shrews to survive off of the little food they can find in the winter. Scientists do not know what the effects of the shrinking are on the shrews brain but are planning further research.

This article is very important to the medical field. Knowing that an animal has the ability to regrow very complex organs may lead to easier treatments in humans in the future. If we figure out how the red-toothed shrews regrow their brain we may be able to make “advances for the study of degenerative bone diseases.” Also, knowing that other organs in the body decrease may allow us to better replicate organs like kidneys. This article is an important step is helping advance the treatments of bone and other growth diseases.

Overall, I feel that the author, Douglas Quenqua, wrote a wonderful article. It was laid out in a way that was easy to follow. Quenqua included definitions of many key terms allowing the reader to better understand the topic. Quotes from the researchers were added which not only brought specific idea, they added credibility to the article showing that it was backed up with evidence. Despite being an overall great article, there are a few aspects that could be improved. Firstly, the author included very little data. He included percentages of body mass, but the reader is left wondering more about the size of the animals. By adding data it adds credibility to the article and allows the reader to better grasp the size of the animal and how much mass is really being lost. Another improvement to the article would be to include more information about the previous studies that were mentioned. The author mentions some study but never goes into details about what they found and how they gathered their data. It left the reader wondering about what conditions were tested and how they were tested. The addition of these two pieces of information would bring the article together and allow for a fuller understanding of red-toothed shrews’ ability to shrink their bodies.

To Mend a Birth Defect, Surgeons Operate on the Patient Within the Patient

Kunzang Namgyal

Mr.Ippolito

AP Biology- EF even

30 October 2017

Grady, Denise. “To Mend a Birth Defect, Surgeons Operate on the Patient Within the Patient.” New York Times, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/health/fetal-surgery-spina-bifida.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront.

This week I decided to read the New York Times article, “To Mend a Birth Defect, Surgeons Operate on the Patient Within the Patient” by Denise Grady. This article was written about an experimental procedure performed on fetuses that suffer from spina bifida. Spina bifida is  is a condition in which the backbone and spinal cord do not develop properly. Many children born with this condition are unable to walk, lack bladder control, and suffer from fluid buildup in their brains. Spina bifida is not usually fatal, however operating on the child post birth can worsen their disabilities.  Dr. Michael A. Belfort, the chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine and obstetrician and gynecologist-in-chief of Texas Children’s Hospital and  Dr. Whitehead, a pediatric neurosurgeon, have designed a prenatal surgery known as fetoscopic surgery. They operate on the fetus before birth by lifting the uterus out of the mother, filling it with carbon dioxide gas so that surgeons have room to work, and then operating on the fetus while it remains in the uterus. Dr.Belfort and Dr. Whitehead developed their fetoscopic procedure by operating on sheep and practicing on a simulator that used a rubber kickball with a doll wrapped in chicken skin to mimic a fetus in a uterus. performing prenatal sugary could allow doctors to better fix the defect because,"Some of the spinal damage is caused by amniotic fluid, which turns increasingly toxic to the exposed nerve tissue as the pregnancy progresses and the fetus passes more and more wastes into the fluid.” In fact,”The percentage of children who could walk independently rose to 40 percent from 20 percent, and the need for a shunt was cut in half, to 40 percent from 82 percent.”. These are drastic changes in percentages, showing the effectiveness of prenatal surgery. Although this type of prenatal surgery is effective, the patients that undergo it must be carefully selected, as the pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Whitehead lamented, "The percent who benefit, I wish it was higher”. Their first 28 cases have had good results, no fetuses have died,very few have required shunts, and their pregnancies appear to last longer, coming closer to full-term than with the open procedure. However, some doctors who practice the open procedure believe that the carbon dioxide pumped into the uterus may cause neurological harm to the fetus.

This article is relevant to society because it offers a new solution to a medical issue that eafects 1,500 babies born each year in the United States alone. This new type of surgery could help some of the individuals who suffer from this condition. The development of this new prenatal procedure could also incite more research into other types of prenatal surgeries that could help fetuses suffering from other conditions. This research and procedure could be a model for other new types of surgeries performed on fetuses.

In the article Grady does a good job of explaining the development of the procedure and gives important details such as the use of a simulator as a practice tool. I wish that Grady had given a better explanation of what exactly spina bifida is earlier on in her article, she eventually defined the condition however it would have been beneficial if she had defined the term earlier on. The article provided diagrams of a fetus with spina bifida, this helped me understand the birth defect in greater depth once it had been defined. Grady states that the fetoscopic procedure is a better alternative to the “open procedure”, however she fails to explain what the open procedure is.

Why Flu Vaccines Often Fail

Gigi Chrappa

AP Biology C Odd

Current Events

30 October 2017

“Why Flu Vaccines Often Fail”

“Why Flu Vaccines so Often Fail.” Science Magazine, 21 Oct. 2017, www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/why-flu-vaccines-so-often-failhttp://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/why-flu-vaccines-so-ohttp://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/why-flu-vaccines-so-often-failften-fail.

The article I decided to read, “Why Flu Vaccines so Often Fail” was written by Jon Cohen and was recently published on Science Magazine. This article was extremely informative and explains the unreliability of flu vaccines. The article states, “The most commonly used flu shots protect no more than 60% of people who receive them; some years, effectiveness plunges to as low as 10%. Given that a bad flu season can kill 50,000 people in the United States alone, "10% to 60% protection is better than nothing,” (Cohen, 1). The article goes into depth, explaining that in a world filled with dangerous diseases and plagues, reliable cures and treatments are necessary to maintain homeostasis in our society. The article warns that much of the science behind the vaccine is actually more similar to ‘guessing’ and can be quite ineffective. It is extremely difficult for scientists to determine which stem of the virus will prevail throughout the upcoming flu season. So, when manufacturers are producing the treatment, they tend to guess which stem of the virus they must produce the most treatment for. If they guess wrong, many areas of the world will be receiving practically pointless vaccines for an illness they have little chance at catching. And in addition to this, even if the right strain is chosen, the vaccine still may be ineffectual because of potential flaws in production of the drug, and for a large number of people, the vaccine does not help to fight the flu anyways. The article states, “The influenza vaccine teaches the body to produce antibodies against the head of the virus's surface protein, hemagglutinin (HA). Those antibodies ideally prevent HA from attaching to cellular receptors, thwarting infection. But HA's head is highly mutable, which is why vaccinemakers must come up with a new formula every year.” The author even goes as far to make the claim, “It's much more complicated than we thought," Osterholm says. "I know less about influenza today than I did 10 years ago.” Obviously, having a vaccine that can prevent 60% of the population is better than not having a vaccine at all. However, in this day in age, I higher percent of accuracy would be desired. And, in addition to this, it is necessary that the drug becomes available to more people in the world. In underdeveloped countries, the risk for dying from the flu increases dramatically (due to unsterile conditions, lack of nutrients and clean water, and poor medical resources) so it is imperative that these countries receive reliable vaccines.

You might be asking, how is this relevant? Every year we prepare for flu season by getting our flu shots. And although we are lucky enough to have terrific resources (both medical and other), the odds are still quite high that we might come down with the virus anyways. But even if we do come down with the flu, the local drugstore has every kind of medication, treatment, and foods to help us recover quickly. And although I am very fortunate to have access to all of these resources, there are many areas in the world that do not have this kind of medical support and steady foundation. So, it is important that we help to promote proper health care and the distribution of vaccines for influenza (and other viruses) to less fortunate areas.

Regarding the author’s writing techniques, Cohen produced a well-developed article with a lavish amount of details. I enjoyed the layout of her writing; she began with a series of powerful statistics which demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the flu vaccine. I also enjoyed the several graphics she included in her article. She included several graphs and pie charts to demonstrate the effectivity of the flu virus. Interestingly enough, the flu virus effectivity was at an all time low in 2004 and 2014. On another note, while reading the article, I began to become confused with what the future holds for this vaccine. It was difficult to understand what his opinion was on the vaccine. Should another treatment be investigated? Should the vaccine be discontinued/reinvented if it is an economic blunder? In addition to this, it was difficult to understand what ‘call to action’ she had for the readers. To fix this, I would recommend that the author clearly states his opinion in a thesis (in an introductory paragraph or somewhere else in the essay) or, overall, provide more evidence supporting his opinion. Overall, the article was a great read and extremely informative. In addition to this, the author only briefly touched on why the virus actually does fail. The majority of the article focussed on the failure of the drug not why it actually fails. I found this to be slightly misleading as the title of the article is 'Why Flu Vaccines Often Fail". In the end, however, the provided me with knowledge about the flu virus and it explains how scientific factors play into the effectivity of the vaccine.

"How Humans Are Shaping Our Own Evolution"

Clio Dakolias

Mr. Ippolito

AP Bio C Odd

October 29, 2017

CE 6

Valiño, Álvaro. “How Humans Are Shaping Our Own Evolution.” National Geographic, 14 Apr. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/04/evolution-genetics-medicine-brain-technology-cyborg/.

This week, I read an article from National Geographic, titled “How Humans Are Shaping Our Own Evolution,” by Álvaro Valiño. Humans, and all other species, are the byproducts of millions of years of evolution. Thousands of years ago, humans living in various parts of the world adapted to various environmental differences, such as to living at high altitudes, or to living in a desert climate. Evolution is relentless; when the chance of survival can be increased, it finds a way to make a change—sometimes several different ways. In our world now, the primary mover for reproductive success—and thus evolutionary change—is modern culture and lifestyle, or more specifically: technology. That’s because evolution is no match for the speed and variety of modern life. Despite what evolution has accomplished in the recent past, humans are currently poorly adapted to computer screens, phones, and packed schedules. Neil Harbisson was born with achromatopsia, meaning he could not perceive color, but thanks to advances in technology, he now has a sort of antenna in his head, or a fiber-optic sensor that converts frequencies. One human trait with a strong genetic component continues to increase in value, even more so as technology grows more dominant. The universal ambition of humanity remains greater intelligence. No other attribute is so desirable; no other so useful, so varied in its applications, here and on any world we can imagine. Over hundreds of thousands of years, our genes have evolved to devote more and more resources to our brains, but the truth is, we can never be smart enough. Ray Kurzweil, author of the book The Singularity Is Near, thinks we are on the way to redefining the way we evolve, amplifying ourselves through technology. “We will transcend all of the limitations of our biology. That is what it means to be human—to extend who we are.” IVF, in vitro fertilization, can allow for desirable genes to be implemented in unborn children, meaning parents soon might be able to “design” their baby. A new procedure called CRISPR is a procedure to snip out a section of DNA sequence from a gene and put a different one in, quickly and accurately. What used to take researchers years now takes a fraction of the time, and the manipulation of human genomes is easier than ever.

As genetic modification technologies such as IVF and CRISPR become safer and more reliable, it becomes more and more likely that they will be used on humans soon. But as technologies become more powerful, so does the risk of abuse. This abuse may come in the form of the temptation to try and engineer a perfect human race. Our bodies, our brains, and the machines around us may all one day merge into a single massive communal intelligence. But if there’s one thing natural evolution has shown, it’s that there are many paths to the same goal. We are the animal that tinkers ceaselessly with our own limitations. The evolution of evolution is happening differently, but at the same time. People are following Harbisson's example: instead of going out and conquering technology, they bring it within themselves.

I had no idea that the reality of human evolution was stemmed in genetically modifying technology, and that it could occur so soon. The author did an excellent job at displaying how amazing and problematic  this technology can be: it can help with diseases, but can also put so many things about the human race at risk, such as individuality and cultural/ethnical diversity. While many may have ethical questions regarding this technology, it is advancing, and to not use it to its full extent, and try to help people around the world, no matter what the risk, would be a total waste. The author used a lot of sources and different quotes to help back up his point, but he could have described in further detail the advancement of specific technologies such as IVF or CRISPR.

Kirsten Ircha         10/24/17  
AP Biology E/F Even        Current Event #6

Citation:

Strickland, Ashley. “The Microscopic Critter That Can Survive Almost Anything.” CNN,

Cable News Network, 27 July 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/health/tardigrade-water-bear-survival-study/index.html

Ashley Strickland wrote an insightful article entitled, “The microscopic critter that can survive almost anything.” The article is centered around tardigrades, also commonly referred to as  “waterbears,” or “moss piglets”. These small animals, no more than a millimeter long, can survive extremely cold and extreme heat. The tardigrades are often found in water or on plants such as moss or lichen. Due to their ability to survive in almost any condition, they live in a variety of climates, from icy mountains and polar regions, to the equator and at deep depth of the ocean. The article describes these animals stating, “They have eight legs with claws at the end, a brain and central nervous system, and something sucker-like called a pharynx behind their mouth that can pierce food.” Recent studies at Oxford University have stated that the animals have the possibility of outliving the human race by almost ten billion years. This is because tardigrades are able to withstand possible future scenarios, such as asteroids, supernovae, or gamma rays. The article then goes on to explain the different condition that have been tested on the animals, including drying them out, freezing them, or placing them in extremely pressure. In all cases, these scientist found that the tardigrades can be revived, even after being frozen for thirty years. As Mark Blaxter, professor at the University of Edinburgh's Institute of Evolutionary Biology, explains this phenomena, “ We have some Ramazzottius we keep dried up in Edinburgh and check each year: We are now at year four, and last month we got hundreds of wriggling tardigrades coming back to life in half a gram of the dried-up algae.” What most interests scientist is how tardigrades are able to withstand the loss of water. What the research has shown is that the animals do not dry out and, “Instead, tardigrades turn on certain genes to replace the water loss in their cells with proteins that essentially preserve their structure until water is returned. Other proteins appear to protect DNA from damage, like the kind they would sustain from radiation.” However, over one thousand species of tardigrades exist, and they each adapt and survive in a unique manner.

The article clearly states how the understanding of tardigrades can be beneficial to society. In general, researchers suggest that, “The proteins that allow the tardigrade cells to survive drying out could be used to preserve cells and cell products "indefinitely" in a dried up state without the need for a freezer or even power.” This can be helpful with childhood vaccinations, as current vaccination require refrigeration and have a relatively short shelf life. However vaccination, “coated in tardigrade desiccation proteins” would be able to be stored at room temperature and shipped to different posts.  This would not only extend the shelf life of the vaccine, but would allow the vaccine to be used at anytime and in any place. This can have an astounding impact in third world countries that do not always have access to proper medical practices or electricity.

Many strength and weaknesses exist throughout the article. To begin, I feel that the author did a great job of writing about the topic in simple enough terms to allow the information to be understood by many ages and maturity levels. This is seen as the scientific terminology is not overly advanced. Furthermore, the author did an amazing job of providing context. This sets up the rest of the article and allows the reader to understand the information that follows. Although the article was written well,  Strickland often quotes the same man, Mark Blaxter. Even though it becomes clear that he is a reliable scientist, I would have preferred studies and research from more scientists. This would have made the article more compelling and convincing, as more viewpoints would have been discussed. In order to improve on this issue in the future, I feel that a greater variety of resources should be included in the work. Lastly, I felt that some of the points were overly repetitive. This can be fixed simply in the future by writing as concisely as possible to ensure that phrases are not repeated.

"For an Endangered Animal, a Fire or Hurricane Can Mean the End"

Jack Kochansky

AP Biology EF Even

Mr. Ippolito

28 October 2017

“For an Endangered Animal, a Fire or Hurricane Can Mean the End”

By Livia Albeck-Ripka

Albeck-Ripka, Livia. “For an Endangered Animal, a Fire or Hurricane Can Mean the End.”

The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2017,

www.nytimes.com/2017/10/25/climate/fires-hurricanes-endangered-animals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront.

Over the past few months, America has been struck with several natural disasters that have destroyed homes, devastated communities, and even taken lives.  The combination of Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Maria, and the the wildfires in California and Arizona are some of the worst weather disasters in history.  In the Caribbean, entire islands have been destroyed, such as Puerto Rico, whose power was almost entirely knocked out when Hurricane Maria struck.  It will be a long road to recovery, and some people still do not have access to clean water.  At the same time, the ecosystems of every area impacted by these natural disasters have been seriously damaged, and in light of all of the human concerns, this has often been overlooked.  This article goes into detail about some of the already-endangered species that were further crushed.  For example, 237 of the 252 living Mount Graham red squirrels that were still alive were killed in an Arizona wildfire, and the habitats of the remaining 35 have been all but destroyed, giving conservationists serious concerns about the survival of the species.  “Most of them have lost the cones they’ve stored for their winter nourishment,” said Jeff Humphrey of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.  Other species in California and the Southwest, like the Amargosa vole and the Mexican spotted owl, also declined in numbers.  Some conservationists responded quickly to the crisis, rescuing fish species before the water became uninhabitable due to ash.  Hurricanes have also damaged populations of endangered species, especially in the Caribbean.  For example, birds like the Attwater prairie chicken and deer from the Florida keys face threats from habitat destruction.  Albeck-Ripka specifically points out that “The Miami blue butterfly (there are fewer than 100 left) are only ‘hanging on in a couple of Keys,’ Dr. Stein said.”  Several other animals, such as parrots, turtles, and ocelots, are also now going to face serious challenges as a result of losing their homes.

Protecting the habitats and livelihood of endangered species throughout the world in order to preserve ecological diversity should be of utmost concern to the world, and the potential of serious weather events to devastate these populations highlights this need even more.  Recently, human-caused climate change has resulted in more extreme weather events, especially hurricanes, that have had many detrimental impacts on the environment and on coastal communities.  People pay less attention to the ecological impacts of natural disasters than they should, and articles like this help to raise attention for concerns like this.  If no one helps to resolve these issues, we will certainly lose dozens, potentially hundreds of species of animals around the world because their habitats have been destroyed by unprecedented weather events.  We would lose precious ecological diversity, and at some point, that would lead to a large-scale collapse of species with damaging reverberations for the environment and our lives.  Thanks to the valiant efforts of many wildlife conservationists, most species were spared in this recent array of disasters, but it is still very possible that some will disappear completely in the next few months with dwindling numbers, food, and shelter.  At a larger scale, losing an entire species of an animal could upset the balance of the food chain, potentially leading to the loss of other vital species and causing a global crisis.  Thus, it is imperative that we be careful now, while many species exist, to ensure that we can save the animals of our world.

Overall, this was a very effective article that highlighted the importance of paying close attention to the well-being of several endangered species in the Americas.  It was very strong in its use of specific examples of animals at risk, including the Attwater prairie chicken and the Mount Graham red squirrel.  By including specific details and photos of them, the article helps to create a sense of urgency to address this crisis as soon as possible.  Albeck-Ripka also quotes specific experts on the various species, adding to the credibility of her main points.  I also noticed that she includes corrections for specific details of the article that she had initially gotten wrong, which shows a dedication to the truth and the most accurate representation of the ecological crises that are being further exacerbated by natural disasters.  However, there were a few ways that the article could have been improved, as well.  While the author offers specific examples of the species negatively affected by the recent hurricanes and wildfires, she does not go into the larger implications as much.  It would have been more effective if she had emphasized some of the ways in which the loss of entire species could impact their local ecosystems.  Unfortunately, many people do not understand that the loss of ecological diversity can have serious negative consequences everywhere.  On the whole, however, Albeck-Ripka’s article was very informative and touching, and it made me realize what a wide range of fields the recent natural disasters have hit.  More articles like this one should be written to gain awareness for severe ecological problems like these -- with enough knowledgeable people, the problem can be assuaged.

" A Turkey-Size Dinosaur With a Raccoon-Like Bandit Mask"

Olivia Doyle

Mr. Ippolito

AP Biology

28 October 2017

Fleur, Nicholas St. “A Turkey-Size Dinosaur With a Raccoon-Like Bandit Mask.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/science/dinosaur-raccoon-bandit-mask.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront.

This week, I read an article entitled “A Turkey-Sized Dinosaur With a Racoon-Like Bandit Mask” that discussed new discoveries from research on the dinosaur Sinosauropteryx. Researchers were able to determine its color from the preserved plumage of its fossils, and found that the creature likely had a dark camouflage pattern on their backs and a lighter pattern on their bellies. This pattern is similar to gazelles or pronghorns of today, displaying its evolutionary significance. Lead author of the study Fiann Smithwick decided to research how this pattern shows us what kind of environment the dinosaur lived in. He made 3D models of the pattern and tested it under different lights, finding that the pattern was most effective in open, sunny environments. Additionally, Smithwick believes that the mask around its eyes was another form of camouflage, which is still seen today in racoons and some badgers and red pandas. Some researchers think that the patches were used as warning signs for predators, signifying their dominance.

Many scientists commented on the significance of this new discovery not only for advancing paleontology, but also for understanding evolutionary adaptations as a whole. Dr. Smithwick says the discovery “shows that the world of dinosaurs wasn’t so crazily far from what we could imagine today.”  His 3D tests provide insight into how patterns of camouflage are effective in different environments. He found that “Animals that live in open, grassy environments have sharp transitions high on their body, from dark to light. But those that live in wooded or forested areas, like deer, tend to have a more gradual transition that appears much lower on the body.” The research is a leap forward in paleontologists’ understanding of the Sinosauropteryx. However, it is also “suggest that countershading is not a modern evolutionary development, but a timeless camouflage technique.” This creature’s camouflage is still visible in animals today, which gives us a wider perception of evolution as a whole.

In my opinion, the author effectively structured his article so that it could be understood by the reader. He included research from many different scientists and then commented on the conclusions they drew as whole in order to create a coherent analysis of these discoveries. I liked how he included pictures of the 3D model of Sinosauropteryx, as well as picture of the fossil specimen. I also think it was important that he included information about how this connects to our understanding of science and evolution as whole, and not just paleontology. However, I do think he could have included more information about the dinosaurs’ predators, and how the camouflage was able to successfully (or unsuccessfully) drive them away. It would have been interesting to know if the Sinosauropteryx was around for a long time, or if it died out quickly. Overall, though, the article was very informative and heightened my interest in camouflage as an evolutionary adaptation over time.

Careers in Medicine

“Many of Florida’s Sea Turtle Nests Were Destroyed by Hurricane Irma.”

Sarah Goodell

Mr. Ippolito

Current Event Review

18 October, 2017

Current Event #5

Weintraub, Karen. “Many of Florida’s Sea Turtle Nests Were Destroyed by Hurricane Irma.” The

    New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Oct. 2017. www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/science/hurricane-florida-sea-turtle-nests-irma.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Ftrilobites&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=collection.

This week, I read an article titled “Many of Florida’s Sea Turtle Nests Were Destroyed by Hurricane Irma” by New York Times author Karen Weintraub. Weintraub wrote about how many of the breeding grounds of leatherback turtles have been destroyed by Hurricane Irma. She describes how these turtles inhabit the waters off of Florida and are already an endangered species. Weintraub writes, “The northwest Atlantic region is one of the world’s two largest loggerhead nesting areas, and 89 percent of those animals are hatched in Florida, Dr. Ceriani said, citing a 2015 assessment.” As she later discusses, this breeding season was looking highly successful for these turtles; however, Irma destroyed those hopes. This particular hurricane arrived early in the turtles’ breeding season, which is when breeding grounds and hatchlings are more vulnerable and fragile. As a result of this early storm, “...more than 90 percent of incubating loggerhead nests were destroyed by the storm, representing about 25 percent of the season’s total.” At the end of her article, Weintraub quotes Dr. Mansfield who is hopeful that these turtles will survive this hurricane season and will thrive in years to come, but worries about future trends that show increasing intensity in hurricanes.

This issue is relevant to our society because the destruction of breeding grounds and habitats could lead to the extinction of sea turtles, as well as many other animals who rely on sea turtles as a food source. In Florida and elsewhere along the coast, we must deal with this crisis immediately because it is more serious than we may think. Eventually, this will come full circle and rest on our shoulders, as it may affect our own food supply. Sea turtles’ habitats must be protected from both natural disasters and man-made disasters; in time, our own mistakes may end up wiping out turtles and other sea creatures altogether.

In her article, Weintraub did a great job of providing her audience with context and detailed background on this topic. She also established her credibility by using quotes from credible sources who are currently investigating this issue. However, in the future, Weintraub can improve upon her discussion about taking action to solve this problem. Although she talked about how these hurricanes have affected turtles’ breeding habits, she never addresses how humans can help and what can be done to prevent future disasters to turtle breeding grounds.

How Dinosaurs Swapped Terrifying Teeth for Bird Beaks

Isabella Dibbini

AP Biology

Current Event #5

19 October 2017

Fleur, Nicholas St. “How Dinosaurs Swapped Terrifying Teeth for Bird Beaks.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/science/dinosaurs-beaks-teeth-birds.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FEvolution&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection.

The article “How Dinosaurs Swapped Terrifying Teeth for Bird Beaks,” by Nicholas St. Fleur discusses how over millions of years, dinosaurs have evolved into birds. Dinosaurs were known for having sharp, serrated teeth that they used to catch their prey. However, over time these sharp teeth were replaced with beaks. The transformation of the theropod mouth is currently unknown, but recently, a study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that provides insight into a potential evolutionary mechanism behind the transition. Amy Balanoff, the biologist who worked on this study, described her findings as “evidence showing the line of evolution from a Tyrannosaurus rex to a pigeon.” Dr. Balanoff, and her team, led by Shuo Wang, used fossils to analyze modern animals. The results they obtained supports the idea that the loss of teeth and the emergence of beaks are connected processes in theropods. The team suggested, “As the beak grew across the dinosaur’s face, it also inhibited the growth of teeth.”  Fleur the author, believes that this process continued until theropods developed mouths that resembled the bird beaks seen today. In a different study, Dr. Wang, the leader of the team, discovered an umu-like theropod that developed teeth at a young age but lost them as it got older and morphed into an adult with a beak.  Dr. Wang and his team continued to conduct their research and came upon two other theropods that seemed to have undergone transitions similar to the first one. To support this claim, Fleur addresses the fact that all three of the theropods “... had beaks but with vestigial, or functionless, tooth sockets.” These three theropods provided evidence for three distinctly different lineages that lost their teeth during postnatal development and formed beaks. Once this fossil evidence was collected, Dr. Wang’s team furthered their research by performing a comparative and statistical analysis of thousands of modern vertebrates, that allowed them to understand the shared characteristics of animals that develop beaks.

Each day, thousands of people either study, teach or learn about evolution. It is a topic that has puzzled many scientists for decades and is the foundation of biology.  Determining why dinosaurs with serrated teeth have evolved into birds with beaks is crucial to our society and to our scientific history. Understanding the evolution of this species will also help us predict what changes could come in the future. This subject is also relevant to our world and current issues that concern all of us. Evolution is occurring in every living species on this planet. No topic in biology can be truly understood without first understanding the basis of evolution.

Throughout this article, the author makes statements and supports them with concrete evidence. In addition, the structure of this article is well planned out. She begins by introducing her main argument and then goes into depth about the experiments conducted by Dr. Wang’s team, to further this idea. It was interesting to see the connections Fleur made between the experiments Dr. Wang had conducted in the past, and his current studies. While this article was well written, there are a few things that the author could have done to make her story more compelling. One suggestion that can be made to improve this article would be to incorporate additional plans on how scientists would further this study. Overall, this article was interesting and very well written.

"Studying insect behavior? Make yourself an ethoscope! Mini robotic labs for testing fly behavior could accelerate neuroscience research."

Mairead Cain

Mr. Ippolito

A.P. Biology

19 October 2017

PLOS. "Studying insect behavior? Make yourself an ethoscope! Mini robotic labs for testing fly behavior could accelerate neuroscience research." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 October 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171019143037.htm>.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171019143037.htm

For my current event report, I decided to read and analyze the article, “Studying insect behavior? Make yourself an ethoscope! Mini robotic labs for testing fly behavior could accelerate neuroscience research,” from the online news source Science Daily.

The article discusses the invention and useage of the ethoscope, “a cheap, easy-to-use and self-made customisable piece of equipment...that can be used to study flies' behavior.” Researchers Dr. Giorgio Gilestro from Imperial College London and several other colleagues of his were largely responsible for the recent attention these devices have gained. Ethoscopes are made by combining a 3D printed base frame with a Raspberry Pi computer and camera. The ethoscopes are used by neuroscientists to study and detect a fly's behavior and movement course. Researchers are now free from manual observation of the flies, in which they would watch videos and monitor the movement. Ethoscopes are also able to manipulate the flies under research. "We can programme the machine [the ethoscope] to send stimuli to the flies only when they behave in a certain way. For example, the robots can be programmed to give flies rewards only if they complete a learned task," said Dr Gilestro. This scientific tool could soon be further developed to use on small animals.

Considering the fact that this article describes the invention of a tool used to study the behavioral patterns of flies, it is evident that this invention will have a large impact on the future of neuroscience. In the article itself, it is described how the ethoscope will make research on flies much easier and straightforward for the researchers involved. “Studies on fly activity usually involve researchers watching video recordings and manually scoring each fly's movements; ethoscopes can do this automatically, saving researchers time.” Future prototypes of the device could even study different, more complex, behavioral patterns, other than movement. One day, the ethoscope may even be advanced to monitor other creatures, other than flies. Dr. Gilestro described the fact that "The ethoscope is going to provide neuroscientists with a very new powerful tool to study, for instance, the biology of learning and memory or the function of sleep."

Overall, I believe the article “Studying insect behavior? Make yourself an ethoscope! Mini robotic labs for testing fly behavior could accelerate neuroscience research,” was very well written and equally informative. The authors easily simplify the advanced science behind the robotics described to help readers easily understand the information at hand. Many of the terms used are also defined and described. The authors go into amazing description when they discuss how ethoscopes could affect the future world of neuroscience. In an effort to improve the article, the authors should have discussed how, exactly, ethoscopes are set up in a research setting. The article was rather unclear with the description of the ethoscopes. It would have also been beneficial for the authors to include more quotes surrounding the use of ethoscopes and their future progression in the field of neuroscience.