Why Did Stegosaurus Have Plates on Its Back

If it werent for its pointed, symmetrical, vaguely threatening-looking plates, Stegosaurus would be a completely unremarkable dinosaur—a bland, small-brained, second-tier plant eater like Iguanodon. Fortunately for its place in the popular imagination, though, the late Jurassic Stegosaurus possessed one of the most distinctive dos in the animal kingdom, those double rows of tough, bony, roughly triangular plates that lined this dinosaurs back and neck. Plate Hypotheses It has taken a long time, though, for these plates to be assigned their proper position and function—or, at least, to what most modern dinosaur experts today believe to be their proper position and function. In 1877, the famous American paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh coined the name Stegosaurus, Greek for roof lizard, because he believed that this dinosaurs plates lay flat along the top of its torso, much like the armor of a crocodile. (In fact, Marsh was initially under the impression that he was dealing with a giant prehistoric turtle!) A few years after this blunder—upon realizing that Stegosaurus was, in fact, a dinosaur and not a turtle—Marsh speculated that its triangular plates lined up sequentially, one after the other, across its back. It wasnt until the 1960s and 1970s that further fossil evidence was uncovered indicating that the plates of Stegosaurus were actually arranged in two alternating, offset  rows. Today, virtually all modern reconstructions use this arrangement, with some variation in how far the plates are tilted toward one side or another. The Purpose of the Plates Unless further evidence comes to light—and Stegosaurus is already extremely well-represented in the fossil record, so any surprises seem unlikely—paleontologists agree about how Stegosaurus wore its plates. The structure of these plates is also uncontroversial; basically, they were giant-sized versions of the osteoderms (protrusions of bony skin) that are found on modern crocodiles, and may (or may not) have been covered in a layer of sensitive skin. Crucially, the plates of Stegosaurus werent directly attached to this dinosaurs backbone, but rather to its thick epidermis, which afforded them more flexibility and a wider range of motion. So what was the function of Stegosaurus plates? There are a few current theories: The plates were a sexually selected characteristic—that is, males with bigger, pointier plates were more attractive to females during mating season, or vice versa. In other words, the plates of a male Stegosaurus were roughly analogous to the tail of a male peacock! (To date, unfortunately, we have no evidence that the size of Stegosaurus plates varied among individuals or between sexes.)The plates were a temperature-regulation device. If Stegosaurus was, in fact, cold-blooded (as most plant-eating dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era presumably were), it might have used its plates to soak up light from the sun during the day and dissipate extra body heat at night. A 1986 study concluded that the outer layers of Stegosaurus plates were thickly lined with blood vessels, which helps support this theory.The plates made Stegosaurus appear bigger to (presumably near-sighted) meat-eating dinosaurs like the contemporary Allosaurus. Stegosaurus adults with bigger plates would have been parti cularly unattractive to predators, and thus this trait was passed on to successive generations. This may have been an especially  important consideration for newborns and juveniles, as an adult Stegosaurus would have been quite a mouthful, with or without plates!The plates served an active defensive function, especially  since they were only loosely anchored to this dinosaurs skin. When Stegosaurus listed to one side in response to an attack, the sharp edges of the plates would tilt toward its antagonist, which would presumably look for a more tractable meal elsewhere. Not many scientists subscribe to this theory, which has been advanced by the maverick paleontologist Robert Bakker.The plates were covered with a thin membrane of skin and were capable of changing color (say, to bright pink or red). This Stegosaurus blush might have served a sexual function, or it may have been used to signal other members of the herd about approaching danger or nearby food sources. The plates hig h degree of vascularization, mentioned above in reference to temperature regulation, also supports this theory. The Mystery Persists So what is the most likely answer? The fact is that evolution has a way of adapting specific anatomical features to multiple functions, so it may well be that the plates of Stegosaurus were literally all of the above: a sexually selected characteristic, a means to intimidate or defend against predators, and a temperature-regulation device. On the whole, though, the bulk of the evidence points primarily to a sexual/signaling function, as is the case with many otherwise puzzling dinosaur features, such as the long necks of sauropods, the huge frills of ceratopsians, and the elaborate crests of hadrosaurs.

The Allegory Of The Cave - 1425 Words

Has someone ever looked at you and immediately disregard you for you are just because of your ethnicity? Have you ever done it someone? Racism is a huge culture issue that we have not only in America, but in other parts of the world, but it does not matter the color of one’s. What really matters is the character they have withheld inside but are not given a chance to express because someone didn’t even bother to give them a chance. This is idea comes from the book written by Plato, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† where in the book Socrates speaks of man being in a dark cave all their lives not realizing the truth until once they reach the end of the cave to see that the light is the truth. The truth is the reality of life. I always thought my father was right and smart in so many ways when I was a child, but it turned out he was wrong about one main idea and that idea was about racism. I didn’t like the idea of being that kind of person: a racist. Stereotypes don’t define people, especially if you’ve never met them. So it made me realize how wrong my father was because even though people have different ethnicities, they are regular people just like me. Now I didn’t realize this right away, but when I went out into the real world to find the truth, the light that had been calling my name. It happened on March 25, 2015, when I visited the country of Australia. Plato, author of The Allegory of the Cave, says â€Å"That what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he isShow MoreRelatedThe Allegory Of The Cave1086 Words   |  5 PagesExplain the allegorical significance(s) of the cave in Plato’s Republic. How is the cave an allegory of Plato’s philosoph y? How is the allegory of the cave an allegory for enlightenment or philosophical education? How and why are most human beings like prisoners in a cave? Who are the puppeteers? What does the world outside the cave represent? What does the sun represent? Etc. What is Plato’s Theory of the Forms? What is a Form? How does the allegory of the cave express Plato’s Theory of the Forms? HowRead MoreThe Allegory of the Cave907 Words   |  4 Pagesman follow the law, and how do implications of society affect our behavior. The most interesting topic from the Republic is from Book VII, the allegory of the cave. With the allegory of the cave Plato gives us the power to break the chains that bind us down and leads us to see the light. In the allegory of the cave Plato sets the scene with humans in a cave that have been chained since childhood so they are restricted from moving and looking around the room. These people only see the shadows castedRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1382 Words   |  6 Pageshis most intricate, yet his most important figure: the Allegory of the Cave. Socrates calls on the interlocutors to imagine a dimly lit cave in which a group of prisoners are chained behind a wall in such a way that they cannot move and are forced to stare at a wall all day. Thanks to a small fire, the prisoners are able to see the shadows of their imprisoners and images their imprisoners projected on the wall. Having always been in the cave, the prisoners believe the shadows are true; similarlyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay2021 Words   |  9 Pagesrecognizable image of Plato’s Republic, the message of the allegory of the cave is present not only in Book VII, but throughout the entire dialogue. P lato-as-Socrates uses the allegory to express his views on philosophy’s role in his city of speech which is later shown more deeply with the five regimes in Book VIII. The cities in the five regimes undergo a degradation as philosophy moves further and further away from the ruler; which also mirrors the cave. Plato reveals his belief that the city and philosophyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1307 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Allegory of the Cave there are prisoners are chained up together in which they are all facing the back wall. There is a firing behind the prisoners and the only thing that they can see are the shadows of the people behind them. The fire casts shadows on the wall so this is the only thing that they see. Their entire lives have been based on these shadows on the wall. These prisoners have been chained up since birth, so what they see on the walls is all they know. In the Allegory of the Cave, theyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay975 Words   |  4 Pa gesof philosophy in Brooklyn College, once said â€Å"The only thing we know for certain is that nothing is certain.† This is the main philosophy behind both Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, and the renowned sci-fi movie â€Å"The Matrix.† Both works deal with escaping a false reality while unveiling a real one. In Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, the escaped prisoner synonymous to the character Neo in â€Å"The Matrix†, exhibiting a shared theme behind both plots. Socrates suggest that with effort, all that isRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave905 Words   |  4 PagesIn the allegory of the cave Plato tries to show us two scenarios where the prisoners experience emotional and intellectual revelations throughout their lives. Plato’s theory was that the ones who truly understand knowledge should guide the ignorant people out of their unenlightened states of being and into true knowledge. The cave symbolizes the pe ople who think that knowledge come from what they see and hear in the world. It also indicates people that make assumptions about life based on the substantialRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay1660 Words   |  7 Pages 3. Explain how the Allegory of the Cave represents Plato’s views about the nature of knowledge and the nature of reality. In the Allegory of the Cave there are chained prisoners in cave who can only stare at the cave wall in front of them. At the back there is a long entrance with a staircase the width of the cave and a fire burning in the distance. They see only shadows projected in front of them from a raised platform and hear an echo that they attribute to what they observe. They talk aboutRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1619 Words   |  7 PagesIn his allegory of the cave, Plato describes a scenario in which chained-up prisoners in a cave understand the reality of their world by observing the shadows on a cave wall. Unable to turn around, what seems to be reality are but cast shadows of puppets meant to deceive the prisoners. In the allegory, a prisoner is released from his chains and allowed to leave the cave. On his way out, he sees the fire, he sees the puppets, and then he sees the sun. Blinded by the sunlight, he could only stare downRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay718 Words   |  3 PagesThesis Allegory of Cave First what is perception and ignorance? Let us define perception as one’s view of life through rationalization of the external world and ignorance as an assumption without proof and contemplation. In the â€Å"Allegory of The Cave†, Plato uses Socrates to explain different types of people, one who sees the physical realm accepting ideas as they form and one who lives in knowledge realm by questioning those ideas. People of the knowledge realm are obligated to helps those in the

Gender Discrimination And Gender Equality Essay Example For Students

Gender Discrimination And Gender Equality Essay more and more people trying to incorporate gender equality in all areas of their operations even if some do it to a small extent. Though this effort is much appreciated, more needs to be done to ensure that gender equality is fully gained in all countries of the world. Gender based discrimination is commonplace in the corporate world as very few women hold top executive positions in big companies. Fewer women hold executive offices in multinationals and big companies compared to their male counterparts. This is mainly because it is generally felt that men are more deserving of promotions despite the fact that men may be less productive as compared to a woman. Women even after discrimination perform well and do not speak up about the discrimination (Smith, Caputi, and Crittenden 210). This can be attributed to the fact that women, for ages have been suppressed and forced to live with the fact that society does not consider them to be as great as their male counterparts in anything even when they clearly are.The number of women who enter into white collar jobs is higher than men. Around 53 percent of women hold white collar jobs as compared to 47 percent of men (Porter 112). However, the number of women occupying leadership positions is almost negligible. In such situations, when a majority of top positions in corporation are occupied by men, chances of the success of women can only be possible with the help of men. It is important that male bosses promote their team members based on their performance and not because of gender. Students attend lecture on gender equality but do not practice what they learn in their real life. There is need to implement theory into practice. College education on gender equality is waste of time . .n to be backward and should not be entertained. I believe that gender equality is an ideology whose time has come. Women should be treated equal to men. They should be given all the rights and opportunities that are available to men. I support that women are as competent as men and they deserve all the privileges that men have solely for a long time enjoyed. Moreover, men should get more involved in gender equality movement for with the help of men, the call for gender equality can perverse our society and its constructs realized. However, the move to liberate women from the bondage of gender stereotyping requires concerted efforts of individuals and organizations, institutions and world governments. The society must come together and fight this vice that has robbed many women their well deserved opportunities at social, political, economical and academic liberation.

Violence in Rap Music free essay sample

Assist Green Mrs.. Hunt Research Paper 1 March 2013 Violence in Rap music Rap music has become more of a distinctive music genre over the past few decades. Rap music and hip hop is only good for dance and for parties too. Sources of information that describe people growing oppression, and declining for advancement. Its sounds, Images, and attitude consist of the people, races and cultures. There are many rappers In the business who use negative and bad language such as Grandmaster Flash, Run DIM, Public Enemy, Ice-T. N. W. A. , Ice Cube,Salt n EPA, Queen Latish, Www-Tang Clan, and Snoop Doggy Dog. Most of these rappers are the most influential and controversial groups in the history of African American rap music . The violence largely came from rowdy gangs in the audience. The people of today should encourage them to stay in school and avoid drugs and gangs. The different clothing, Jewelry, and hairstyles changed rapidly and often reflected most groups. We will write a custom essay sample on Violence in Rap Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Violent lyrics cause violent behavior. Rap music is an art form that reflects life. Rap music created a commercial product.Between rap lyrics and lenience they are overvalued. Hip hop is form of art and expression just as any of kind of music. When rappers rap they speak upon what happen in their life or what happen in the hood. In today society as black folks we are the most Influence people of the race. Why? The beats, rhythms, and lyrics we listen to make us do what others do. The violence In rap music Is Increasing worldwide and the younger generation Is affected by it. The words rappers say make people out here in the world behave a certain way.Such as killing, harassment, bullying, and rape. The music is being criticized by the crime, violence, racism and misogyny. In the news everyday there is something a rapper says that affect the people. It is negative. Some of the music is a form of stereotypical. The way the rapper talks about the hood life, drugs, hustling, pimping, and shooting one another. It affects younger children and the way they will grow up. There should be more positive things going on In the music Industry. In the industry there are some good and bad music artists. I believe in the late ass their ere some good music, now in my generalization the music industry is just all about the money life. It has a large in impact on the children today. Today all I hear about is the money, drugs, gangs, and clothes. It hurt me that in today society we are Just focus on who coming out or whats coming out next. The rap music tell people how to eat, what to wear, what gang to be In, what to smoke, how to talk to women wrong. That should not be in the music industry. We should listen to things like school, education, and the good things to do. Violence shows the negative and wrong things.Violence is the genres primary commodity and its currently of choice. The lyrics that kids and adults listen to make them do the things that they never through they would do. Teens that spend most of their time watching the sex and violence depicted In the gangster rap music video are likely to practice this behavior action In real life. Is the way of expressing the way life is on the streets. There are a lot of people who can tell their life stories because most of them went though things like that. Some people get upset over the things like whats hood is doing the most.