Homework #1

Evolution

Despite on having religious beliefs, I believe that evolution is inevitable and is needed to clear
path for more advanced species that can adapt more to changing environments. One of the evidences of
evolution is how our forms and structures point to common ancestors. The bones are longer in some
animals and fused in other. But they all have the same pattern. Another example is our coccyx. Coccyx is
a vestigial structure. Our ancestors have tails and it helps them to balance. But because we now learned
how to walk it is a structure that is considered useless. There are other evidences such as the use of fossils,
biogeography and genetics. I believe that you can still believe in God and evolution at the same time. God
created all of us in a evolutionary process. This process brings the diversity of species that we have today.

Source: What is the evidence for evolution? - Common-questions. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://biologos.org/common-questions/what-is-the-evidence-for-evolution
 Homework #2
Anthropocene
G13 Payawan Aura Ma’am Ricohermoso
12 Kepler June 15, 2019

Based on our discussion, it is said that we are currently living the Phanerozoic eon, Cenozoic era,
Quaternary period and Holocene epoch. But recent studies say that we are now living a new epoch, the
Anthropocene epoch. This epoch is characterized on how humans change the earth. William Smith
proposed on his principle of Biologic succession, that each age of the Earth’s history is unique. If we
observe our strata of the rock in the future, it is said that there is a significant difference of the
characteristics of the Holocene and the Anthropocene.

We humans leave a mark on our rock with our disruptive activities. Since 1950, we have changed
the Earth by using nuclear weapons, burning fossil fuels, producing new materials, changing our geology,
using fertilizers, warming the earth and lastly, causing extinctions.

War does not only leave a mark on our history but also to our geology. On July 16, 1945, the first
nuclear weapon was detonated in New Mexico. These act deposited atoms with excess nuclear energy.
These thermonuclear weapons left a global signature of isotopes like Carbon-14.

Since the last 65 million yrs. ago, carbon emission is higher than any time. It is said that there are
400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1850. Fuel consumption spread small,
unburned particles of carbon that are captured in sediments and glacial ice. Burning fossils also produced
isotopes. It can be detectable in tree rings, limestones, and fossilized bones and shells.

Pollution for me is what makes our epoch distinct. We have produced new materials like plastics.
End every year we consume about 500 million tones of it. We changed our geology by deforestation,
farming, drilling, mining, landfills, dam-building and coastal reclamation. More that 50 % of the Earth’s
land are is already transformed for our own purposes. We have increased the Nitrogen in the soil for
about 120%. All of these can lead to global warming and cause extinction because not all can adapt to the
changing temperature. It can also be a risk to humans because we destroy our resources that will help us
live. Remember, the earth can live without us but we can’t live without Earth. So, let us take care of it.

Sources:
Wong, S. (n.d.). Marks of the Anthropocene: 7 signs we have made our own epoch. Retrieved from
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28741-marks-of-the-anthropocene-7-signs-we-have-made-
our-own-epoch/

Strickland, J. (2018, February 15). Earth Is in a New Epoch Because of Humans, Scientists Say. Retrieved
from https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/earth-new-epoch-humans-
scientists-say.ht