Anatotitan Facts and Figures

Anatotitan Facts and Figures Name: Anatotitan (Greek for giant duck); pronounced ah-NAH-toe-TIE-tan Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 40 feet long and 5 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; broad, flat bill About Anatotitan It took paleontologists a long time to figure out exactly what type of dinosaur Anatotitan was. Since the discovery of its fossil remains in the late 19th century, this giant plant-eater has been classified in various ways, sometimes going by the now-unfashionable names Trachodon or Anatosaurus, or considered a species of Edmontosaurus. However, in 1990, a convincing case was presented that Anatotitan deserved its own genus in the family of large, herbivorous dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs, an idea that has since been accepted by most of the dinosaur community. (A newer study, however, insists that the type specimen of Anatotitan was really a superannuated specimen of Edmontosaurus, hence its inclusion in the already-named species Edmontosaurus annectens.) As you might have guessed, Anatotitan (giant duck) was named after its broad, flat, duck-like bill. However, one shouldnt take this analogy too far: the beak of a duck is a very sensitive organ (a bit like human lips), but Anatotitans bill was a hard, flat mass used mainly to dig up vegetation. Another odd feature of Anatotitan (which it shared with other hadrosaurs) is that this dinosaur was capable of running clumsily on two legs when it was chased by predators; otherwise, it spent most of its time on all four feet, munching peacefully on vegetation.

An Explanation of Altruism in Primate Social Behavior essays

An Explanation of Altruism in Primate Social Behavior essays Altruism is one of the most mysterious social behaviors in the world. Altruism is defined as behavior that increases, on average, the reproductive fitness of others at the expense of the fitness of the altruist. Fitness simply means the expected number of offspring. When an organism gives up the advancement of its own fitness for the fitness advancement of another organism in the population, it seems somewhat illogical. However, from the articles Ive read, survival of the fittest and natural selection, in reference to an entire species or population, is often dependent on the altruistic actions of others in a population. Another concept learned from studying journals regarding altruism is that altruistic behavior is far more complex than normally thought. Altruism can be traced throughout the evolution of many species, especially primates. It has been a focal point in the research of many natural scientists, anthropologists and biologists alike. The four articles I chose to analyze and explain altruism in the realm of primate social behavior were A mechanism for social selection and successful altruism, Varieties of altruism - and the common ground between them, The pursuit of human nature in sociobiology and evolutionary sociology, and Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior. These four journals each give a different perspective and different concepts on the behavior known as altruism. A mechanism for social selection and successful altruism was written by Herbert Simon and published in Science, a recognized academic journal. The journal takes a rational approach to analyzing and reasoning the reason for altruism in primate social behavior. It basically says that within the framework of Darwinism and natural selection, with its focus on fitness, it has been hard to account for altruism, behavior that reduces the fitness of the altruist but...