The Horns of a Rhino Essay Example for Free

The Horns of a Rhino Essay What large mammal has tough, thick, light-grey skin, and has two large horns coming out of its nose? After reading that description, ideally one’s answer should be a rhinoceros. In most cases, we always picture a rhinoceros to have two horns and light-grey skin, but often forget about the rhinoceros who have darker colored skin and only one horn. There were once hundreds of rhinoceros species however, only five species exist today. The African Black and White rhinos, and the Sumatran rhinos have two horns, but the Indian and Javan rhinos from Asia only have one. Why is it that some rhinoceros have two horns while others only have one? I believe that the second horn certain rhinoceros have first came along as a beneficial mutation, and then eventually due to natural selection and allopatric speciation, certain rhinoceros now have two horns instead of one. The rhinos that existed about 60 million years ago looked more like today’s horses than the typical rhinoceros we are familiar with. This would explain their unusual diet and rather fast speeds. The weight of a rhino ranges from 750 pounds to 8000 pounds. The expectation should be that for such a massive animal, they would be rather slow; however, that is not the case at all. Similar to a horse, Rhinos can be rather fast as well. When charging at an animal, the Rhino could reach speeds of 56 km/h. With such violent and defensive ways, it is assumed that rhinos are meat eaters; however, that is not the case either. Similar to horses, rhinos are herbivores. They like to eat grass, foliage of trees, and bushes. Eating habits and speed are behavioral characteristics from their ancestors that have remained the same. There are even some physical characteristics that have remained the same like being an odd-toed ungulate. While so many characteristics were carried over from the rhinoceros’ ancestors, there are also many new changes that have evolved; the most significant one is the extra horn. I believe that the extra horn came along as a beneficial mutation. When two ancestors of the rhinoceros with a single horn mated, there could have been a mistake in the replication of their DNA and resulted in the extra horn growing above the offspring’s nose. According to Lamarck’s second principle: The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics, individuals could pass on to their offspring characteristics they had acquired during their lives. His theory may be incorrect but it helps explain that a species evolves in response to its environment, and becomes better adapted to that environment. The rhinoceros may have started with only one horn on its nose but because of the environment it lived in and the strong need for an extra horn for protection, over time the horn it once had evolved into two horns that we see now. Since rhinoceros are herbivores, they would never need to hunt for prey. Lions who are carnivores hunt regularly for their food, have many experiences fighting and know how to defend themselves. In a situation where a lion and a rhino battles, the rhino would have no way of defending itself for it has less experience fighting, less power than the lion, and less flexibility. This is why there is such a strong need for an extra horn. The horn would act as protection and by being able to charge at an animal with both horns, there would be an increase in the rhino’s chance of survival. According to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, nature favors the reproductive success of some individuals within a population over others. In this case, nature would select against those with only one horn in this geographic area for those are the rhinoceros who are less strong defensively, and will not be able to survive in that particular area. So eventually, sexual selection will factor into the evolution of the rhino and females would only want to mate with rhinoceros who have two horns, resulting in offspring that will have a better chance of surviving and battling against more powerful animals in their habitat. It is known that the Earth didn’t always look this way. The Earth was once a super continent and overtime, it has broken up into separate pieces of land which are the continents and islands that we know now. It is very likely that the separation of land also separated the population of rhinoceros. This allopatric speciation separated the rhinoceros into two geographically isolated populations. Those who were separated to where we now call â€Å"Africa† had the beneficial mutation of an extra horn. This mutation however, was only shared among themselves because once populations are physically separated, they can no longer exchange genetic information. Rhinoceros who went off to Asia did not develop this mutation, and even if they did, it wouldn’t have been very beneficial to them in any way. While African rhinos tend to feed low to the ground, Asian rhinos usually feed off leaves higher above the ground. If the Asian rhinos did have this mutation, it could act as a barrier from getting food. Allopatric speciation not only affected the rhinoceros’ physical characteristics but behavioral characteristics as well. Studies show that in general, African rhinos are more aggressive than Asian rhinos. Therefore the different geographic areas these rhinos live in affect both physical and behavioral characteristics of each species. In conclusion, the reason some rhinoceros have two horns while others have one is because of their geographic location. While rhinos in Africa developed this mutation, rhinos in Asia did not. Allopatric speciation also did not allow the exchange of this new gene between the population of the two geographic areas. Hence, why most Asian rhinos have one horn and African rhinos have two. African rhinos require the extra horn while rhinos in Asia can make do with just their bottom teeth for defensive purposes. Rhinos in Asia won’t ever come across the same animals the Rhinos in Africa do, so the different species don’t share the same need of the horn. Could it be that one day all species of rhinoceros will require that extra horn?

A Rose for Emily Essay -- essays research papers

A Rose for Emily: Antebellum South vs. Modern South   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Faulkner wrote, â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† In the gothic, short story he contrasted the lives of the people of a small Southern town during the late 1800’s, and he compared their ability and inability to change with the time. The old or â€Å"Antebellum South† was represented by the characters Miss Emily, Colonel Sartoris, the Board of Aldermen, and the Negro servant. The new or â€Å"Modern South† was expressed through the words of the unnamed narrator, the new Board of Aldermen, Homer Barron, and the townspeople. In the shocking story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Faulkner used symbolism and a unique narrative perspective to describe Miss Emily’s inner struggles to accept time and change The main character, Miss Emily, was born into a prominent Southern family, the Grierson’s. The Grierson family represented the era of the Old South; and to the people of Jefferson, Mississippi, the family stood as a monument of the past. Miss Emily held on to the ways of this bygone era and would not change. Because of her inability to change, she was considered vulnerable to death and decay and, therefore, a â€Å"fallen monument† (71). Miss Emily had no intentions of changing her ways to please the people of her town. During her generation she â€Å"†¦had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (71). The new generation felt no hereditary obligations to her and her reputation in town was â€Å"dying and decaying.†. Miss Emily’s relationship with Homer Barron was also a conflict of the past and the present. Homer was described as, â€Å"A Yankee --- a big, dark, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face† (74). Miss Emily, a Southern Aristocrat, represented the traditions of the past. Homer, a Northern construction worker, was part of the constantly changing present. In the summer after her father’s death, they were seen by the townspeople â€Å"on Sunday afternoons driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy† (74). Miss Emily would sit with her â€Å"head high.† She represented the past. Homer would sit with his â€Å"hat cocked.† He represented the present (75). Homer entered her life by courting her publicly; by not wanting to marry her, he would have robbed her of her dignity and high-standing in the community. The ladies of the town felt that Miss Emily was not setting a good example... ...or her, and received in reply a note on paper†¦to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax notice was also enclosed, without comment,† (71-72). Faulkner’s effective use of narration was a key asset in this story. He used the narrator not only to report the events, but the narrator became the observer for the town as well. This omniscient narrator had the ability to view the inner minds of the characters and used â€Å"we† instead of â€Å"I†. The narrator translated the words, thoughts, and suspicions of an entire small town community, and he was completely aware of its ways. The time sequence skipped around, as if someone was randomly remembering the events. William Faulkner effectively used symbols in the story to allow the reader to develop their own views of Emily. The cane represented her physical weakness and the invisible ticking watch illustrated her inability to face and deal with time and change. Miss Emily wore her mourning clothes which connected her to the Antebellum South. She would not live in the Modern South because she could not handle change. Instead, she embraced the past, became trapped in the past, and then died in the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Rose for Emily Essay -- essays research papers A Rose for Emily: Antebellum South vs. Modern South   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Faulkner wrote, â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† In the gothic, short story he contrasted the lives of the people of a small Southern town during the late 1800’s, and he compared their ability and inability to change with the time. The old or â€Å"Antebellum South† was represented by the characters Miss Emily, Colonel Sartoris, the Board of Aldermen, and the Negro servant. The new or â€Å"Modern South† was expressed through the words of the unnamed narrator, the new Board of Aldermen, Homer Barron, and the townspeople. In the shocking story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Faulkner used symbolism and a unique narrative perspective to describe Miss Emily’s inner struggles to accept time and change The main character, Miss Emily, was born into a prominent Southern family, the Grierson’s. The Grierson family represented the era of the Old South; and to the people of Jefferson, Mississippi, the family stood as a monument of the past. Miss Emily held on to the ways of this bygone era and would not change. Because of her inability to change, she was considered vulnerable to death and decay and, therefore, a â€Å"fallen monument† (71). Miss Emily had no intentions of changing her ways to please the people of her town. During her generation she â€Å"†¦had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (71). The new generation felt no hereditary obligations to her and her reputation in town was â€Å"dying and decaying.†. Miss Emily’s relationship with Homer Barron was also a conflict of the past and the present. Homer was described as, â€Å"A Yankee --- a big, dark, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face† (74). Miss Emily, a Southern Aristocrat, represented the traditions of the past. Homer, a Northern construction worker, was part of the constantly changing present. In the summer after her father’s death, they were seen by the townspeople â€Å"on Sunday afternoons driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy† (74). Miss Emily would sit with her â€Å"head high.† She represented the past. Homer would sit with his â€Å"hat cocked.† He represented the present (75). Homer entered her life by courting her publicly; by not wanting to marry her, he would have robbed her of her dignity and high-standing in the community. The ladies of the town felt that Miss Emily was not setting a good example... ...or her, and received in reply a note on paper†¦to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax notice was also enclosed, without comment,† (71-72). Faulkner’s effective use of narration was a key asset in this story. He used the narrator not only to report the events, but the narrator became the observer for the town as well. This omniscient narrator had the ability to view the inner minds of the characters and used â€Å"we† instead of â€Å"I†. The narrator translated the words, thoughts, and suspicions of an entire small town community, and he was completely aware of its ways. The time sequence skipped around, as if someone was randomly remembering the events. William Faulkner effectively used symbols in the story to allow the reader to develop their own views of Emily. The cane represented her physical weakness and the invisible ticking watch illustrated her inability to face and deal with time and change. Miss Emily wore her mourning clothes which connected her to the Antebellum South. She would not live in the Modern South because she could not handle change. Instead, she embraced the past, became trapped in the past, and then died in the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Wonders of Science

Science has done great service to mankind. Science has ensured life to be safer, surer and much more comfortable than ever before. Science has helped man to make computers, artificial satellites and robots. Science has given the Americans a defense umbrella in space and it has given the Russians a permanent space station. Russia, it is believed, will have an industrial city in space before 2050 A. D. This would be the height of achievement in the field of science and technology. Science has also helped the common man in many ways. It has given him the modern machinery which has helped to increase the production of food grains.The famines which took the lives of millions of people in the past have now become a distant thing, except in some African countries. Man who was travelling in bullock carts until two hundred years ago is now able to travel in supersonic jets which would take him around the world in twenty four hours. Science has also made communication easier with the invention of telegraphy and the telephone. The invention of the printing press has brought education in the form of books and newspapers to the doorsteps of every common man. Science has given man several means of recreation to spend his leisure time.The greatest wonder of modern science is that we can watch several events as they are happening on the other side of the world by sitting comfortably in our drawing rooms in front of the televisions. Satellite links of televisions have made this possible. Science has also given us the computer which can store a million times more of information in its memory than a human brain and bring them out the flicker of a second. The computer can also work out statistical data of all inhabitants of a city and can give details of any singular feature for several years. These wonders of science have certainly made our living easier and lively.

The Effect Of Digital Technology On The Music Industry

The effect of digital technology on the music industry Nowadays, teenagers are living constantly surrounded by technology. Even if the younger generation may not see it, technology has had an impact on different factors. The widespread use of digital technology in the music industry has allowed consumers to reproduce digital versions of copyrighted songs inexpensively, with the help of many software and websites. There has been an increase in digital copying activities and those are most of the time claimed responsible for producers’ loss in revenues. While some people claim that the increase of digital technology has killed the music industry, in fact it has lead to innovation and new ways of consuming and sharing music, such as†¦show more content†¦VEVO is a joint venture of Universal Music Group, Google (which owns YouTube), Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media. The VEVO record is given to the artist who gets the highest number of views in 24 hours. When a music video has a lot of views, artists are guaranteed that their music is going to be displayed on radio and is going to sell a lot. The holder of the record is currently Miley Cyrus with the song Wrecking Ball. Indeed, her music video received 19 millions views in its first 24 hours. The song was released on August 25, 2013 and as of January 2014 â€Å"Wrecking Ball† has sold three million copies in the United States. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 50 but it soon became number one after the release of the controversial music video, which shows the impact of YouTube on the music industry. Furthermore, the American music magazine Billboard added U.S YouTube data to its platform, which means that it is now a factor into the chart’s ranking: it joins digital download track sales and physical singles sales. ITunes created the first legitimate digital music store that competed with piracy. On April 28, 2003, Apple released the iTunes store. The music industry had finally an application to earn money from the sale of digital music, after years of suffering from the power of Napster and piracy. Steve Jobs created a new link between the artist and the customer. Indeed, instead of having to go to a store andShow MoreRelatedShould Public Access For The Internet?1477 Words   |  6 Pagesabout any American teenager what their hobbies are, and chances are many will say, â€Å"listening to music†. Music is more accessible than ever in 2016, thanks to technology, computers, and the constantly growing use of the Internet. Just about every industry has been affected by these elements, and the music industry is no exception. Advances in technologies have had, without a doubt, a massive influence on music. 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