The Monograph

Calvin & Amar

The Monograph -Sample-
B

What do you want to be when you grow up?

By Amar El-Khatib 1T3

plain it. All I can say is and what other people thought of me did
that I was one weird not matter. Even though my career choice
kid. may have been ridiculous at the time,
looking back, I think that it signifies a
Scientist –There was point of maturation in my life where I was
some progress, as my able to back up my decisions with sound
next career choice in- philosophical arguments (or not so sound
volved an actual career, arguments)
a “Scientist”. Now I
know what you’re think- Astronomer – This is a career considera-
ing, a Scientist is highly tion based on a romanticized notion of
non-specific, it can be Astronomy. I had another one of those
practically anything. generic children’s encyclopedias titled
That might be true, but “Space”. The book gave a general de-
as a 7 year old, I loved scription of all 9 planets (now 8), the sun,
reading children’s encyclopedias, one’s and space phenomena like supernovas.
What do you want to be when you grow with titles like “Birds” or “Insects” or There were plenty of artist renditions to
up? As children, we’ve all been asked that “Volcanoes”. I also knew that I liked find- go along with the text, and those pictures
question tons of times, and chances are, if ing out how stuff worked, and the best are what captured my imagination. I used
you’re anything like me, you had just as way for me to express that was to say to read the text then stare at the picture
many answers. Before writing this piece, I that I wanted to be a scientist. for minutes, wandering what it would be
sat down and tried to think of some of the like to watch a supernova in real life.
different careers that I considered, and the Garbage Collector – According to my
reasoning behind each career considera- parents, this is the point where I took After looking back at some of the quirky
tion. For your entertainment, here are four two steps backwards. A garbage man careers that I had considered, I realized
careers that I considered as a child before may have seemed like a lowly job to that they are more than childhood fanta-
choosing pharmacy: them, but I had a great philosophical sies. These career choices were born out
argument behind this choice. I liked to of a passion for science, reading and
Baby – I was 6 years old when I decided argue that happiness is the most impor- general curiosity about how the world
that I wanted to make career out of being a tant thing in life, and the best way for me worked. I urge everyone to do the same,
baby, yes a baby! This might be perplexing to defend that argument, was to tell peo- think about your childhood career
to some, as this isn’t even career but a ple that I want to be a garbage man be- choices and how they relate to your cur-
developmental stage. I have no way to ex- cause collecting trash made me happy, rent profession.
Rants, Raves and Confessions
Last night, I was walking on one Why is the washroom on the to wake up early and make it I once took a 20 minute de-
end of the sidewalk when this second floor hidden in room to class on time because it is tour to avoid running into my
lady from the end of the same 201 next to the computers, too important to miss. The next 5th grade teacher in my
sidewalk ran towards me while just a thought. morning, I wake up wearily and neighborhood.
yelling "This is what you get for convince myself that today’s
getting in my way", needless to Calvin, 1T3 class isn’t really important. I Calvin, 1T3
say, I ran like a little girl. then go back to bed.
if you have any rants, raves or
Before I go to bed every night,
confessions you’d like to share,
Calvin, 1T3 I convince myself that I have Amar, 1T3 please send them to sam-
By Amar El-Khatib 1T3
Elephants are fantastic animals with a
host of defining features that are the prod-
uct of millions of years of evolution. All
three extant species of elephants are
known for their gigantic size, floppy ears
and gentle nature, but what sets them apart
from almost all other species is their long,
prehensile trunk. Formed by the amalgama-
tion of the upper lip and nose through mil-
lions of years of selection, the trunk is now
used by its bearer for a multitude of tasks
ranging from the mundane to the extraordi-
nary. For example, elephants use their
trunk to pick leaves from tree branches, as
well as detect and track scents left behind
by other animals; both tasks induce a selec-
tive pressure that favors longer trunks, yet,
there are subtle differences between the
trunks of the three extant species of ele-
phants.
The evolutionary history of the trunk can be
traced back to the elephant’s early ances-
tors from the order known as proboscidea.
Fossil evidence of early proboscideans
shows that there was a gradual increase in
body size that began around fifty millions
years, a trend predicted by Cope’s Law.
Selection favored those that can reach
higher leaves, which meant that larger indi-
viduals had higher fitness. However, larger
individuals also had larger heads that were
heavier and further off the ground, this
meant that their heads were constantly
drooping and they had to invest more en-
ergy in lifting their heads to reach higher
leaves. In other words, there was a trade-off
between body size and head weight, where
an increase in body size increased fitness,
but an increase in head weight decreased
fitness. In addition, there is a strong posi-
tive correlation between head size and
head weight.
Natural selection provided a novel solution
to this problem: elephants with smaller jaws
yet equally large heads that had longer single family that splits into three spe-
lips and snout to compensate for their cies, two African elephants and an Asian
smaller size mandibles were favored. elephant. The geographic separation of
The elongated lips and snout were highly the Asian and African elephants eventu-
maneuverable, and were increasingly ally resulted in allopatric speciation. Afri-
used as probes that reached high tree can and Asian elephants have diverged
branches. Moreover, there was a selec- long enough that they can be discerned
tive pressure that acted in utero, favor- by the tips of their trunk. An Asian ele-
ing the fusion of the upper lip with the phant has one projection on the tip of its
snout. Fossil records show that the trunk trunk that can be curled around objects
size of proboscidean ancestors that lived to improved grappling. An African ele-
seven million years ago is comparable in phant, on the other hand, has two projec-
size to modern day elephants. tions that are used to grip objects by
There are several other selective pres- pinching them. Even though the trunks of
sures that favor longer trunks. Elephants African and Asian elephants are homolo-
use their trunk to detect hormones left gous, each elephant has adapted to its
by potential mates and those with a bet- own environment and their trunks per-
ter chance of detecting these hormones form similar functions using slightly differ-
have higher mating success. However, ent techniques.
these chemical signals are not conven- Through the examination of
iently placed for elephants to detect; early proboscidean fossil records, scien-
instead, chemical messages are usually tists were able to make simple predic-
airborne, requiring an elephant to probe tions on how the elephant’s trunk
the air around it to detect a signal. evolved and continues to evolve by
Hence, elephants with longer trunks can means of natural selection.
probe
larger
areas
w i t h
more
e a s e
a n d
have a
better
chance
of mat-
ing.
T h e
order of
probos-
cidea
c o n -
tains a