Clara DeMagalhaes
AP Biology C Even
October 16, 2018
Current Event #5
Klein, Joanna. “Plants Can't Talk. But Some Fruits Say 'Eat Me' to Animals.” The New York Times,
The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/science/fruit-color-evolution.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/science/fruit-color-evolution.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
Over time, fruit-bearing plants have evolved different ways to communicate with animals to make their
fruits appeal to them. This way, when the animal eats the fruit and expels the seeds, the seeds will grow
somewhere other than the original location, thus furthering the survival of the species. How exactly plants
have been able to do this has been debated about for a long time, though the most commonly accepted
hypothesis is that fruits adapt different traits depending on the preference of the animal that eats them, like
their color, shape, or location on a tree branch. Kim Valeta studied this by testing with her team of
researchers how a fruit’s color contrasting against background foliage appeals to different animals in
Madagascar and Uganda. The resulting conclusion is that the way the fruits contrast with the background
is designed to appeal to the visual capabilities of animals. For example, red berries against green foliage
could be easily seen by certain birds and monkeys, but when the colors blue and yellow were contrasted,
then animals who were red-green colorblind were able to see those clearly. Meanwhile, Valeta’s colleague,
Omer Nevo, wanted to test how fruits alter their odor depending on the animal that eats them.
He collected a hoard of ripe and unripe fruits from Ranomafana and hypothesized that fruits eaten by only
lemurs would have a greater distance in odor than the fruits eaten by birds. The odors of the fruits were
extracted by a technique called the “semi-static headspace technique” in which the fruits were sealed in
oven bags, allowing the odors to build up. These odors could then be pumped out of the bags and
analyzed. The team concluded that the fruits whose seeds were spread by lemurs had stronger chemicals
when they were ripe compared to when they weren’t. They recognized that this may only be the case in
remote, specific scenarios, but researchers also suspect a similar relationship is happening between
elephants in Uganda and a tree called the Balanites wilsoniana. The seed of the Balanite wilsoniana
cannot grow into a new plant until the elephant expels it. This type of mutualism is common with
flower-pollinator relationships, but not with relationships between fruits and their seed dispensers.
Other plants, such as the traveler’s palm whose fruit is consumed by aye-ayes in Madagascar, contain
a laxative that causes the consumer to expel the seeds as quickly as possible. Like the Balanites
wilsoniana, the traveler’s palm’s survival depends on their seed dispersers for survival.
fruits appeal to them. This way, when the animal eats the fruit and expels the seeds, the seeds will grow
somewhere other than the original location, thus furthering the survival of the species. How exactly plants
have been able to do this has been debated about for a long time, though the most commonly accepted
hypothesis is that fruits adapt different traits depending on the preference of the animal that eats them, like
their color, shape, or location on a tree branch. Kim Valeta studied this by testing with her team of
researchers how a fruit’s color contrasting against background foliage appeals to different animals in
Madagascar and Uganda. The resulting conclusion is that the way the fruits contrast with the background
is designed to appeal to the visual capabilities of animals. For example, red berries against green foliage
could be easily seen by certain birds and monkeys, but when the colors blue and yellow were contrasted,
then animals who were red-green colorblind were able to see those clearly. Meanwhile, Valeta’s colleague,
Omer Nevo, wanted to test how fruits alter their odor depending on the animal that eats them.
He collected a hoard of ripe and unripe fruits from Ranomafana and hypothesized that fruits eaten by only
lemurs would have a greater distance in odor than the fruits eaten by birds. The odors of the fruits were
extracted by a technique called the “semi-static headspace technique” in which the fruits were sealed in
oven bags, allowing the odors to build up. These odors could then be pumped out of the bags and
analyzed. The team concluded that the fruits whose seeds were spread by lemurs had stronger chemicals
when they were ripe compared to when they weren’t. They recognized that this may only be the case in
remote, specific scenarios, but researchers also suspect a similar relationship is happening between
elephants in Uganda and a tree called the Balanites wilsoniana. The seed of the Balanite wilsoniana
cannot grow into a new plant until the elephant expels it. This type of mutualism is common with
flower-pollinator relationships, but not with relationships between fruits and their seed dispensers.
Other plants, such as the traveler’s palm whose fruit is consumed by aye-ayes in Madagascar, contain
a laxative that causes the consumer to expel the seeds as quickly as possible. Like the Balanites
wilsoniana, the traveler’s palm’s survival depends on their seed dispersers for survival.
The question of why animals choose specific fruits to eat based on characteristics is something that has
intrigued biologists for over a century at this point. This type of information is useful because it helps
scientists specify the niche of a particular species. For example, if it is known that a certain species of
lemur is red-green colorblind, then it will most likely avoid fruits of those colors, and instead consume
fruits that are of a different color. Also, knowing which animals spread which seeds could potentially
help biologists track or estimate the population of the plant by tracking their consumers and finding out
how many seeds are typically released by the plants as well as figuring out where an individual plant’s
location may be. Lastly, if a population of a certain plant or animal species needs to grow and they have
this type of relationship with another species, then researchers could introduce more of the other
species in order to help the other one grow. For example, if the population of a fruit-bearing plant runs
too low and it has a mutually beneficial relationship with a type of animal of this type, then more of that
animal could be introduced. Therefore, more of the plant’s seeds will be spread, which in turn helps
boost the population.
intrigued biologists for over a century at this point. This type of information is useful because it helps
scientists specify the niche of a particular species. For example, if it is known that a certain species of
lemur is red-green colorblind, then it will most likely avoid fruits of those colors, and instead consume
fruits that are of a different color. Also, knowing which animals spread which seeds could potentially
help biologists track or estimate the population of the plant by tracking their consumers and finding out
how many seeds are typically released by the plants as well as figuring out where an individual plant’s
location may be. Lastly, if a population of a certain plant or animal species needs to grow and they have
this type of relationship with another species, then researchers could introduce more of the other
species in order to help the other one grow. For example, if the population of a fruit-bearing plant runs
too low and it has a mutually beneficial relationship with a type of animal of this type, then more of that
animal could be introduced. Therefore, more of the plant’s seeds will be spread, which in turn helps
boost the population.
The article was written in a very intriguing way and always brought up new tidbits of information in
order to keep the reader interested. It was moderately paced, but because there was a lot of different
information and many experiments that it talked about, the overall pace of it matched the topic well.
And while there were many different scenarios observed, they were still all explained in a way that
ensured any reader, no matter how well versed they are with biology, could understand. However, one
of the flaws has to do with how each of the experiments and pieces of information were presented. It
felt like the author wanted to talk about a lot of stuff but had a word limit, so many of the tidbits felt
rather rushed. There was also a question that was presented in the article that wasn’t really elaborated
on. Namely, “how can you pin a fruit’s particular traits to an animal when many different animals, with
their own evolutionary adaptations, interact with the same fruits?” I thought this question was what the
experiments were supposed to answer, but it seemed like they were only trying to prove that fruits
adapt certain characteristics to appeal to a specific set of animals. In order to improve the article, I
suggest that the author could maybe cut out one of the sections, like when they were talking about the
diets of aye-ayes, and instead focus on elaborating on another portion that wasn’t explained fully.
order to keep the reader interested. It was moderately paced, but because there was a lot of different
information and many experiments that it talked about, the overall pace of it matched the topic well.
And while there were many different scenarios observed, they were still all explained in a way that
ensured any reader, no matter how well versed they are with biology, could understand. However, one
of the flaws has to do with how each of the experiments and pieces of information were presented. It
felt like the author wanted to talk about a lot of stuff but had a word limit, so many of the tidbits felt
rather rushed. There was also a question that was presented in the article that wasn’t really elaborated
on. Namely, “how can you pin a fruit’s particular traits to an animal when many different animals, with
their own evolutionary adaptations, interact with the same fruits?” I thought this question was what the
experiments were supposed to answer, but it seemed like they were only trying to prove that fruits
adapt certain characteristics to appeal to a specific set of animals. In order to improve the article, I
suggest that the author could maybe cut out one of the sections, like when they were talking about the
diets of aye-ayes, and instead focus on elaborating on another portion that wasn’t explained fully.
Klein, Joanna. “Plants Can't Talk. But Some Fruits Say 'Eat Me' to Animals.” The New York Times,
ReplyDeleteThe New York Times, 9 Oct. 2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/science/fruit-color-evolution.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience
Clara's review of this article explaining how fruits adapt depending on their relationship to the animals that eat them was really informative and well written. Clara summarizes and analyses the main points very clearly, and her critique of the article she read is also well thought out. Her points on how the author could still expand on her information, and asking further questions created depth in her review.
In her first paragraph, I feel that Clara should have given more background information or perhaps a transition into her information; it feels as if she went directly to the heart of her analysis without easing the reader into it. Also, a few of the sentences, although grammatically correct, read a bit clunky.
I only had an inkling of the relationship between fruit and animals, but after reading Clara's review, I was in awe of how nature works, that plants could adapt to even the color blindness of animals. I have always seemed to focus more on how animals adapt to their environment, without thinking that plants are adaptable to change other than light.
Sunday Ladas
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology C-EVEN
17 October 2018
Klein, Joanna. “Plants Can't Talk. But Some Fruits Say 'Eat Me'
to Animals.” The New York Times,The New York Times, 9 Oct.
2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/science/fruit-color-evolution.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
I thought that the beginning of Clara’s summary was very captivating and I thought that the hook gave a good introduction to the topic. I like how she went in depth about the study that was taking place. She explained how the odor and the taste (to other animals) of the fruit plants affected other animals affected and in what countries they were most heavily affected in. I also like how she began her second paragraph with a somewhat rhetorical question. I liked how she followed her question with good analysis and opinion of the study that she was reading about. I also liked how she put in her own facts from prior knowledge about this topic.
In the beginning of the article Clara does a nice job intriguing the reader however, I felt that she could have made her hook a little longer and intrigue the reader more. Although it was intriguing I felt it could have been more captivating. Although the second paragraph was very intriguing and interesting, I felt that she could have related the study to more current day problems. I felt that she explained more facts about the study and stated more facts rather than tying the article/study to a problem in today’s world.
When reading this article I learned a lot of information about how fruit-bearing plants have evolved since the world has begun. I learned that when animals eat the fruits and spit or poop out the seeds (from that fruit) the fruit will grow in the place that the seed was placed. I thought that only was applied to certain types of plants and fruits. I learned something new that improved my knowledge about plants and animals. I also learned that animals could be red-green colorblind or yellow-blue colorblind. I did not know that animals could be colorblind.
Cassidy Mullen
ReplyDeleteAP Biology C Even
October 16, 2018
Current Event #5
Klein, Joanna. “Plants Can't Talk. But Some Fruits Say 'Eat Me' to Animals.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/science/fruit-color-evolution.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
Clara’s first paragraph is very detailed and descriptive. This gives the reader a better understanding of the article. Clara not only gives an example of how the color of a fruit changes the animals that eat it but also how the smell effects consumption of fruits as well. In her second paragraph, I like how Clara explains that studying the relationships between plants and animals could help scientists grow and regulate populations of plants. This gives the reader an idea of why studying these relationships and how these relationships are important to our environment today. I like how Clara commented on the pace of the article and the amount of information the author included because these two things can truly engage or disengage a reader even though the importance of these two aspects are not obvious at first glance. If an article is slow paced and boring then I tend to disengage as a reader.
Clara introduces the first paragraph discussing how fruit-bearing plants have evolved over time to accommodate the animals that eat them. Clara says that fruit-bearing plants communicate with animals, but as she continues her summary, she only describes how different animals identify their food and not how the plants communicate with these animals. She also abruptly changes the topic to talk about flower-pollinator relationships later in her summary without introducing or describing this relationship to the reader. The first sentence of Clara’s second paragraph is unclear. Clara writes, “The question of why animals choose specific fruits to eat based on characteristics is something that has intrigued biologists for over a century at this point.” After reading this sentence I questioned whether the animals choose fruits based on the traits of the fruits or if their choices were due to the characteristics in the animals. It is important to have a clear opening sentence to a paragraph so that the reader knows exactly what the writer will be talking about throughout the rest of the paragraph.
While reading Clara’s review I learned that fruits adapt certain characteristics to appeal to animals when I thought only animals adapted based on the availability and characteristics of plants in their environments. Previously, I primarily considered how animals needed energy from plants to survive, but Clara’s review made me think more about how the plants need the animals to eat them in order to survive and spread their seeds. Overall, I think that this will teach me to consider topics from the perspective of every living organism and not just the organisms that I categorize as most important.
Plants Can’t Talk. But Some Fruits Say ‘Eat Me’ to Animals
ReplyDeleteKlein, Joanna. “Plants Can't Talk. But Some Fruits Say 'Eat Me' to Animals.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/science/fruit-color-evolution.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
For this week’s current events, I read Clara DeMagalhae’s review of “Plants Can’t Talk. But Some Fruits Say ‘Eat Me’ to Animals” by Joanna Klein which details the evolutionary adaptations of fruits that encourage consumption and spread of their seeds. One element of Clara’s review which I enjoyed was her extensive recollection of the facts covered by the article and her incorporation of key examples to illustrate the concepts she discussed. The breadth and depth of Clara’s summary indicated a strong understanding of the original article and incredible attention to detail. I thought that Clara’s incorporation of the effects of color and location of fruit on animal consumption was particularly compelling. Another strong aspect of Clara’s review was the highly organized structure of her writing. I found that her connections paragraph in particular was laid out in an extremely concise and orderly fashion that enumerated her points in logical sequence. The effect of her numbered layout was a helpful direction for the reader and aura of authority from her writing. Lastly, perhaps the strongest piece of Clara’s review was her critique of the author because she incorporated original angles of review. Before reading Clara’s writing, I had never thought about how the pace of article writing aligns with the content of their subject matter and consequently affects how the article and topic are perceived by the audience. I thought that Clara’s comment about the frenetic onslaught of information delivered by the article was extremely accurate and insightful. I think this both speaks to Clara’s discernment as a consumer of scientific information and her understanding of language and syntax.
Elements of Clara’s review which have room for improvement include her summary and her superfluous diction. Although I enjoyed the depth of her summary and was impressed by the amount of information that Clara was able to convey about the original article, I was a bit overwhelmed by the volume of material presented in her summary. I felt that there were too many specific examples in the summary paragraph which caused me to get a bit lost in her writing. I would have liked to see Clara summarize the main points of the article in a more concise manner with more emphasis on the argument, purpose and angle of the article rather than the specific examples that were brought up. Additionally, although Clara’s writing was overall exceptional, I noticed that she tended to use superfluous diction at times which contributed to the volume of her writing. Clara used many modifiers like “very,” “many” and “interesting” which I think could have been removed for a more convincing and simplistic tone. Also, the use vague words like “stuff” diluted her point and injured her argument. However, Clara’s insight and strong delivery of detailed analysis outweighed these two minor errors.
The main message that I took away from reading this article was that ecological development in nature is a complex and intricately connected process. I realized that every element of an ecosystem including organism behavior has not developed overtime in a vacuum, but rather is the direct result of interactions within and across species. Therefore, the adaptations fruits have made to entice animals to consume them as a means of propagating their seeds is just one example of nature’s reliance on collaboration and exchange which fosters ecological systems based on interdependence.