Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Life of Mammals – The Social Climbers and Food for Thought

by Fevie Ann B. Ramos
2012-09356

Through the years, scientists have been studying the origin of man. Although I believe that a higher being created the universe; I can’t help but be intrigued in the way these primates think and act. With the abilities they have, it’s not uncommon to think that they might be our ancestors. Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is the most popular study regarding this.  According to his theory, the most capable species to adapt to changes in the environment evolved into a better species.

            Monkeys are very smart and ingenious. Since most of their food source can be found in places where insects thrive, they used a certain plant with insect repellent properties to rub themselves. In the presence of predators, they protect themselves by creating sounds to warn other monkeys. Monkeys which live on land are somewhat different from the ones that live in tree tops. Since threat is higher on land, they form groups and search for other forms of food. The size of the brain of a species is directly proportional to the size of the group. Their social skills are also somewhat similar to humans.

Apes are more similar to humans in many ways. They use their brain to imitate what humans do like cracking nuts. They also pass their tradition from one generation to another which we can view as the beginning of culture. Apes do their best to protect their children. Bonds are strengthened within a group in different ways like sharing of meat and grooming. These traits can be recognized as social and political skills.

Our ancestors were able to stand upright through adaptation to environment. It was also shown in the documentary how our ancestors hunt for food and they found a way to settle in one place without the risk of famine. Arts, culture, and technology also flourished. An example of this is the Mayan civilization.

At present, we can see how advanced our civilization has become. We are never satisfied and we always have that certain drive to innovate. With this attitude, colonization of other planet might be possible in the near future.

As Chemistry major, I am inspired on how scientists continue to innovate and look for renewable and alternative sources of energy from our limited resources. In the future, I also want to create something that can change our lives.

To the question about controlling population for survival of environment or the other way around, my stand is to control population. As humans, we must protect what God has given us. By controlling population, it does not mean that we stop reproduction. We just need to prevent the bursting of population to the point where we can no longer support ourselves. I know it is cliché but we must protect what we have today so that the future generation can have the same privilege as we have now. Even though colonizing Mars can be possible, there is still no better place like our home which is the mother Earth.

References:
Attenborough, D. (2008). The Life of Mammals: Food for Thought. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007c1vc
Attenborough, D. (2008). The Life of Mammals: Social Climbers. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007c1rd
Rainforest primates: Mokeys, Apes and Lemurs. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2014, from All About Wildlife: http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/rainforest-primates-monkeys-apes-and-lemurs
Than, K. (2012, December 7). What is Darwin's Theory of Evolution? Retrieved May 7, 2014, from Live Science: http://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html

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