Stegomastodon Facts and Figures

Name: Stegomastodon (Greek for roof nippled tooth); pronounced STEG-oh-MAST-oh-don Habitat: Plains of North and South America Historical Epoch: Late Pliocene-Modern (three million-10,000 years ago) Size and Weight: About 12 feet long and 2-3 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Moderate size; long, upward-curving tusks; complex cheek teeth About Stegomastodon Its name sounds impressive—like a cross between a Stegosaurus and a Mastodon—but you might be disappointed to learn that Stegomastodon is actually Greek for roof-nippled tooth, and that this prehistoric elephant wasnt even a true Mastodon, being more closely related to Gomphotherium than to the genus to which all Mastodons belonged, Mammut. (We wont even mention Stegodon, another elephant family to which Stegomastodon was only distantly related.) As you may already have guessed, Stegomastodon was named after its unusually complex cheek teeth, which allowed it to eat such un-pachyderm-like foods as grass. More importantly, Stegomastodon is one of the few ancestral elephants (besides Cuvieronius) to have prospered in South America, where it survived until historical times. These two pachyderm genera made their way south during the Great American Interchange, three million years ago, when the Panamanian isthmus rose up from the seafloor and connected North and South America (and thus allowed the native fauna to migrate in both directions, with sometimes deleterious effects on native populations). To judge by the fossil evidence, Stegomastodon populated the grasslands east of the Andes mountains, while Cuvieronius preferred higher, cooler altitudes. Given that it survived until shortly after the last Ice Age, 10,000 years ago, its almost certain that Stegomastodon was preyed on by the indigenous human tribes of South America—which, along with inexorable climate change, drove this pachyderm to complete extinction.

Rene Descartes s Philosophy On The Mind - 3358 Words

Introduction to Philosophy October 23, 2014 Renà © Descartes Descartes is one of the most influential and well-known philosophers of all time. The idea he is most famous for is his explanation on the mind. Renà © Descartes is often credited with being the â€Å"Father of Modern Philosophy.† This title is justified due both to his break with the traditional Scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy prevalent at his time and to his development and promotion of the new, mechanistic sciences. He was one of the most influential and well-respected philosophers of 1600’s. Descartes attempted to address the former issue via his method of doubt. His basic strategy was to consider false any belief that falls prey to even the slightest doubt. This â€Å"hyperbolic doubt† then serves to clear the way for what Descartes considers to be an unprejudiced search for the truth. This clearing of his previously held beliefs then puts him at an epistemological ground zero. From here Descartes sets out to find something that lies beyond all doubt. He eventually discovers that â€Å"ergo sum† or â€Å"I exist† is impossible to doubt and is, therefore, absolutely certain. Now his notion on the mind is very extensive. I will be focusing on some of his work regarding the nature of the mind and its ideas, his belief of Cogito, ergo sum and also the sensations and passions. The mind is a very intricate and confusing subject. First off, Descartes argues this concept off Cogito, ergo sum. Which means, â€Å"IShow MoreRelatedPhilosophers and Scientist of Modern Psychology1454 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophical distinction between mind and body can be traced back to the Greeks, it is due to the works of one great Philosopher that till this very day this is still in existence. Rene Descartes was the first to ever talk about the interactions of the mind and body, which later on in psychological history caught the attention of others who came after him such as James and Wundt. Descartes stated that not only body can influence mind, but that mind could also affect body. Descartes was a famous mathematicianRead MorePropelling Rational Thought Over Compelling Empiricism1459 Words   |  6 PagesEmpiricism Aaron Nicely Intro to Philosophy 02-09-2016 In this paper I intend to examine the rationalist philosophy of Rene Descartes and fundamental empiricism of John Locke’s philosophical arguments, in particular their ideas relating to the science of man, his identity and attempt to explain distinctions between the two. As I lay the framework of my argument it is important to understand the precepts that serve as the underpinning for the views considered by Descartes and Locke respectively. 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Rene Descartes wrote out several mediations, but the one we’re going to touch base on is meditation III that he wrote in the 1600’s; While Thomas Aquinas’s wrote his five proofs of God in 1270 that specifies God’s existence in each proof; theRead MoreThe Mind Body Problem, By Rene Descartes Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pages Mind-Body Problem Oluwadamilola Kamson Philosophy 101: Introduction to Philosophy November 2016 INTRODUCTION The Mind-body problem dates back to Plato and was well received by the scholastic philosophers. However, it was Rene Descartes the famous French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. The mind-body problem is not, of course, a single problem at all, but a large collection of problems which focuses upon the fundamental issue of reality and knowledge in so far as such analysisRead MoreWisdom According to Rene Descartes1240 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent lines and not examining the same thing† Rene’ Descartes pg. (1) â€Å"Discourse on Method† by Rene’ Descartes Wisdom, according to Rene’ Descartes, can be reached when an individual abandons all other influence and challenges the course of their own personal knowledge by seeking supreme understanding. He believed that everybody is capable of wisdom, but to gain it a person must challenge their very own mind. In the book, â€Å"Discourse on Method†, Descartes describes his method for understanding by firstRead MoreThe Mind-Body Problem Essay957 Words   |  4 PagesThe Mind-Body Problem The mind-body problem, which is still debated even today, raises the question about the relationship between the mind and the body. Theorists, such as Renà © Descartes and Thomas Nagel, have written extensively on the problem but they have many dissenting beliefs. Descartes, a dualist, contends that the mind and body are two different substances that can exist separately. Conversely, Nagel, a dual aspect theorist, contends that the mind and body are not substances but differentRead MoreProposed Seven Philosophers On The Existence Of God And Their Development Of These Ideas1413 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophers are as follows: (1) Socrates, (2) Plato, (3) Aristotle, (4) Francis Bacon, (5) St. Augustine, (6) Thomas Aquinas, and (7) Rene DesCartes. The specific three I want to focus on being; St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and Rene Descartes. Lastly, I will proceed to relate their ideas on the existence of God and their development of these ideas. St. Augustine s epistemology is rationalization. In his argument for the existence of God, he is referring to varying degrees of perfection otherwiseRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Mind And The Body1646 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophy of mind had come across when philosophers had an idea of the concepts regarding the human mind and its mysteries. This branch of psychology had intended to elaborate and study the nature and aspects of the human mind, also how these concepts such as mental events, mental functions and consciousness would connect to each other, through the human brain and body. Philosophy of mind became one of the central areas of philosophy as the skills and abilities of metalizing are used to treat individualsRead MoreThe Philosophical Beliefs Of Substance Dualism And Modern Materialism953 Words   |  4 PagesDualism and modern Materialism The tradition of Substance Dualism was formulated by Rene Descartes to define the differing modes of the soul that function in the human mind. The dualistic aspect of this philosophy is based on the presence of a higher power, such as God, that provides the essence of the mind through the soul, yet the human body is separated from this process. Therefore, Descartes sought to divide the mind from the material body as a method of defining the limitations of the body in relation

Drunk Driving Free Essays

Persuasive Presentation Outline Example Driving While Intoxicated Topic: Local San Marcos Problem Organization: Problem/Solution Specific Purpose: I would like my audience to believe that an alcohol education class should be taken before one can receive his/her license Introduction I. Attention Getter: In the past decade, four times as many Americans have died in drunk driving accidents as killed in the Vietnam War (NHTSA, 2006). II. We will write a custom essay sample on Drunk Driving or any similar topic only for you Order Now Relevance: How close have you come to losing your life as a result of an alcohol-related accident? III. Credibility: Recall story about my boyfriend receiving phone call that his brother, Jeremy, had been killed in a drunk driving accident. IV. Propositional Statement: Driving while intoxicated remains a problem in the United States and in the city of San Marcos. Because young people do not know enough about alcohol and its effects. I propose that a mandatory course in alcohol education be required before one can receive his/her driver’s license. Body I. The first part of the problem is that we continue to drive while under the influence of alcohol. A. Drinking and driving is a problem on a national level. 1. 16,189 people were killed in alcohol related accidents in 2005. This is one death every 32 minutes (NHTSA, 2006). 2. Three in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in his/her life (NHTSA, 2006). B. Drinking and driving is a problem on a local level. 1. San Marco police department reported 196 arrests in 2005 related to alcohol-related crimes. Of those arrests, 67 were driving while intoxicated. San Marcos Police Department, 2005). 2. 50% increase from arrests made in 2000 (San Marcos Police Department, 2005). Transition: Not only is drinking and driving a major problem, young people are often very uniformed of its effects.II. The second part of the problem is that young people do not know enough about alcohol and its dangerous effects and they received mixed messages about alcohol. A. Young people lace an awareness of alcohol’s severe effects. 1. In 2004, 2. million teenagers did not know that a person could die from an alcohol overdose (Dunning, 2005). 2. Young people believe myths, not facts. (Dunning, 2005). B. Young people receive mixed messages about alcohol and its effects. 1. Less than one in three parents of tenth grade students gave their children a clear â€Å"no-use† message about alcohol (MADD. 2004). 2. When parents â€Å"bargain† with youth, the youth are more likely to drive after drinking or be in a vehicle driven by someone who has been drinking (MADD How to cite Drunk Driving, Papers