Diversity of Life - in the Northern Amazon

A team of specialized biologists is just finishing up an incredible adventure in South America. A recent expedition has led a team of scientists deep into roadless areas of the northern Amazon forests, and their research thus far has yielded quite an excellent example of the 'diversity of life'. Check out their ongoing blog at:

http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/an-abundance-of-species-and-water/

The Amazon rainforest, known as Amazonia, is of vital importance to inhabitants of Earth, as the flora provide up to 20 percent of Earth's oxygen. While Amazonia is classified as a 'tropical' rainforest, we in the Pacific Northwest are no strangers to the rain. In fact, we are surrounded by 'temperate' rainforests, which contain an abundance of different lifeforms.

QUESTIONS:

If you visit the above blog, you will notice the post titled "An abundance of species, and water".

1) Considering our conversations in class concerning the connections between water and life, how would you explain the correlation between water and 'an abundance of species' as recorded by scientists on the recent survey studies in Amazonia?

2) Do you think that our more local temperate rainforests have an abundance of life similar to Amazonia? What might be other environmental factors besides amount of water that affect abundance of life?

Crows & Tools

What do forks, spoons, knives, nutcrackers, hooks, and arrows all have in common? They are tools humans use to acquire various sources of food (energy). What other organisms have developed tool-using capabilities? Check out the footage below that depicts the ingeniousness of a crow.

Ancient Brains

Over the course of the past week, we have been talking about the 'Characteristics of Life' in class. We are trying to figure out what all organisms (living things) share in common, and then classify this evidence as "characteristics of life." This is a surprisingly complex process.

One of the preconceptions members of our class held was that organisms have brains. After some debate, we recognize that organisms such as plants and fungi don't have what could be classified as a brain. We agreed then that having a brain is not a characteristic of life.

BUT CHECK THIS OUT!

The structure of the brain and how it came to be is very interesting. A research team has recently identified a brain-like structure inside a marine ragworm, a creature which hasn't evolved in hundreds of millions years! Apparently this neurological control center might be responsible for the organism's olfactory senses (sense of smell).

The ragworms brain-like structure, known as a mushroom body (because it looks like a mushroom), reveals a similar gene-expression as that of more complex animal brains, such as the brain of the human.

The importance of this research suggests that there is a common ancestral brain, that humans share in common with worms, insects, and other invertebrates. For more information visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/science/07obbrain.html?ref=biology_and_biochemistry

QUESTION:
What 'characteristic of life' would be supported by the brain-like structure in a marine ragworm? In other words, how would a the ragworm benefit from a brain-like structure that allows for olfactory senses?

The Curious Clouded Leopard

Using your large soft paws, you climb nimbly up a tree in search of a tasty macaque monkey or a large tropical bird. You're movements are silent, canceled by the percussive drips from the spent monsoon that passed through moments ago. There is an abundance of old world monkeys, so you are not worried about finding prey. In fact, its the middle of the day and you ask yourself, "why am I not taking a nap?" You are not the largest of wildcats, but nonetheless you are elusive to prey and maintain a mysterious existence.

With none the worry, you settle into the notch of a tree for a quiet rainforest nap.
















As you can see from your portrait above, you are quite beautiful. Your large paws, patterned fur, and long tree-balancing tail make you a cat well adapted to life in the forest. But as you nap in the trees confident of your placement in your local food web, there is a high price upon your skin. There is a particular animal called a human, who walks not as quietly as you and is not as ferocious a carnivore. However, your meat could feed a human family and the sale of your fur would fill more than a few pockets.

Here is your fur, for sale in a market.

You, the curious clouded leopard. With dwindling habitat and limited protection from human hunting, your elusiveness is your best chance for survival at the present.