Museum of Natural History Field Trip, Research Paper Example

Ocean Hall

The aspect of this exhibit that interested me the most concerned the first life forms that were contained within the oceans. I am primarily interested in diatoms, which are considered to be algae and phytoplankton. These ancient organisms are unicellular, and although they would appear to be relatively simple as a consequence of this, they have been shown to exist as filamentous colonies. This is related to the textbook because it is an example of simplistic ocean life. They are able to make their own food through use of the chlorophyll in their cells, which likely paved the evolution for modern sea plants, such as seaweed, that we are familiar with today. Although many ancient evolutionary forms do not remain behind for us to study, the diatom is an interesting case because it is apparently good at surviving as it is abundant in the sea today. This is comparable to the fact that microbes which were ancient evolutionary forms of microorganisms exist today as well.

Fossil Mammals Hall

The fossil that I selected to examine for this portion of the assignment is from Uintatherium robustum. It is predicted that this particular fossil is 50 million years old, which makes it from the early Eocene era. This particular fossil was found in what is now Wyoming, indicating that these creatures used to live in the western part of the territory that we now consider to be the United States. The Uintatatheres were very large mammals with tusks on their heads. They were plant eaters and believed to have evolved from the pantodonts that were prevalent during the Palocene. Although it is unclear why this mammal became extinct, it was certainly due to its inability to adapt to its environment. Leading reasons that could contribute to its extinction include climate change and the lack of availability of its primary choice of food. It is important to understand that an animal that lived 50 million years ago in modern Wyoming experienced a very different climate and habitat for several reasons. Firstly, the theory of plate tectonics indicates that Wyoming may have been in a different location relative to the equator, indicating a different temperature. This would have meant a variety of tropical plants were likely available for this mammal to feed on. In fact, scientists believe that the Eocene era was a very warm period as a whole. It is therefore likely that when this period ended, the Uintatatheres starved and became extinct.

Early Life Hall

I have chosen to examine the first tree, otherwise known as Eospermatopteris. Although this plan is not closely related to the trees that exist today, this species has some of the broad features that we generally identify that trees have. This is related to the textbook chapter because it demonstrates that while lower evolutionary forms of certain plants and animals are close to the ones that we know today, natural selection still acted upon these species which allowed them to form more specialized functions that aided with survival. In the case of Eospermatopteris, researchers are uncertain what plan organs belong to this “first tree” and which belong to organisms that have been found surrounding it. More studies will have to be done to determine where this plant should belong on a phylogenic map due to existence or lack of these features.

Mammal Hall

Out of all of the information on mammals I saw in this exhibit, I was most fascinated with the hippopotamus because it is an example of a mammal that has adapted to live primarily in water, although it is capable of surviving on land. According to the exhibit, the eyes, ears, and nostrils of the hippopotamus are located on the top of its head. This makes sense in light of the hippopotamus’ need for survival. It is because of this adaptation that it is able to live slightly beneath the surface of the water and be aware of predators and food. Even though the hippopotamus is known to be a vegetarian, this anatomical situation makes it very fierce and gives in an adequate defense system.

Hall of Human Origins

For this section of the assignment, I decided to examine the section of the hall of human origins that explains the evolution of humans from non-human primates, such as chimpanzees. This exhibit also explains the historical development that went into our understanding of primate behaviors, such as the studies that were conducted by Jane Goodall. A lot of this exhibit compares the behaviors of humans and non-human primates in an attempt to demonstrate that we are similar. We both walk upright, have the ability to use and make tools, and take advantage of group relationships in order to survive. I believe that this exhibit gave good evidence for the case of evolution over creationism.

Insect Zoo Hall

The exhibit I selected to study examines the evolution of insects. This is relevant to the textbook chapter because it demonstrates the difficulty that researchers have with identifying evolutionary information that helps determine the relationship between insects and other species. Insects are soft-bodied, and when they die, they typically degrade at a faster rate than other animals. However, scientists are able to understand the life of ancient insects from their occasional fossilization. As a consequence, scientists resort to studying ancient insects that are trapped in preservatives such as amber and tree resin.

Dinosaurs Hall

Strongly dependent on fossil-finds, the dinosaurs haul provides a distinct feel of what it could have been in the past that made the earth a breeding ground for huge animals like dinosaurs. The large biodiversity provided them with food and other needs that sustained their living. Rocks, clays and fossils preserved from Washington and Maryland could be found in this section. These evidences provide a distinct proof on the existence of dinosaurs and how the denudation of the environment due to massive changes has specifically drove them away towards extinction. Relatively, this particular aspect of proof intends to serve as a wakeup call intending to point out that if huge and strong species like dinosaurs could go completely extinct, then it is highly possible that other species at present could also be extinct which endangers the overall balance in the ecosystem that humans live in.          

Fossils Plants Hall

This section in the museum specifically provides a visionary presentation on what paleontologists do to explore how the connection of species is supported by evidence specifically dug out from several areas. The exhibit features specific plant fossils and where they were taken from. The evidence-based information help prove what each fossil represent in correlation to the actual length of time from the point of its discovery towards the point of its recovery. One particular interesting aspect in this section of the museum is the collection of leaf fossils collected by Dr. Scott Wing. It is indicated through these fossil-evidences that global warming is indeed affected by human induced activities. Museum curators define this particular process of destroying natural resources through the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum principle which is assumed as the most controversial studies being completed today to be able to tread and find out resolutions for the current problems in the environment at present.

Vertebrate Bone Hall

Featuring fishes, birds, reptiles and mammals that have backbones, this section specifically provide a variety of choices from which the structure of living things could be observed closely. Still relative to the provision of evidence on the fact that supports the ideals of evolution, this section of the museum tries to indicate a distinct presentation on how bone development and changes from one specie to another provide a distinct correlation on how each species share particular characters. These connections tend to establish that every creation is somewhat connected to each other, a reason that defines the correlative relationship they share including mutual existence and the prey vs. predator condition of survival.