The Bering Land Bridge

Please refer to the guidelines for general terms for the paper. I have my thesis. My topic is: Beringia – climates, environments, and the productivity paradox. Please refer to the "Thesis, outline, list of references" doc to see the specific thesis. Also please follow the instructions from "Thesis, outline, list of references" to follow the outline of introduction paragraph, body paragraph, and conclusion paragraph topics. Please include works cited of at least 10 scholarly articles, either from Google scholar or SMU libraries (link in the document) Thesis By estimating the type of the environment, climate, and resources that were available to people migrating towards the new world of northeast Siberia and Beringia, I will conclude the most optimal time between 15000 and 23000 years ago that the peopling likely occurred. Outline Introductory Paragraph Description of Beringia, also referred to as the Bering Land Bridge. Describe the variables that are analyzed to estimate the time period of crossing. **Find the most official name for this time period? (15,000 to 20,000 years ago) Body Paragraph—extention of intro Speak about the time period. The maximum time was concluded because 23000 years ago, the continents of Asia and America split. Monte Verde site findings give us the minimum age of 15000 years ago. Body Paragraph The topography of beringia. (all description) This will include geographic location of beringia 20000 years ago—the world was much different then and continents we closer. Body Paragraph How the climate was during that time 15000 to 23000 years ago. If you can find both time periods that would be great. Just for an interesting tangent…talk about how the climate is during the present time (today) Body paragraph How the climate was changing. Body Paragraph The plants and vegetation of this time. (total description including lists of different plants, trees, or lack of) Body Paragraph How the climate effected it. **It is known that there were a lack of trees in the region during this time. Did this effect oxygen levels. Could vegetation survive? Body Paragraph How did the vegetation and climate effect people and animals. Did it kill of people, and make it harder for people to survive the crossing?? Explain if you think there was one or multiple attempts to cross the bering land bridge (based on online articles or books) ** There was not enough vegetation to feed all the animals ** Unproductive landscape to feed all those Body Paragraph How we know people were in existence during this time. Altai in souther Siberia—must have come from here because that’s where haplo groups are found in asia. The problem is that this assumes the people who live in Altai have stayed there since Body Paragraph Typical Migration Patterns of the people during this time and there motivation to cross the Land Bridge. ***Pleistocene migration pathways as inferred from modern mtDNA distrubtions Skeptical because X2a is from ice through corridor, even showing in (not like Hansel and Gretal lol) Body Paragraph Founder effect—a populations sampled of a larger populaion of which you have markers of the same frequency and u have not had a representative take a look. when groups left Siberia they didn’t effectively record the haplogroups (the people who were left) Body Paragraph What kind of people arrived to North America (Alaska). Examples of artifacts and different sites such as Monte Verde or other other hypothesized sites. **Fossil Records—large animals that need a lot of food Body Paragraph Incorporate how the artifacts you have found in previous paragraphs show how long ago the humans and animals were present in Beringia. Conclusion Finally, approximate a specific time period between 15000 to 23000 years ago. For example 16000 years ago. Explain why. Resources to Use: ** these are good sources to start with the research that gives different archeological or research proofs for the vegetation, animals, and peoplings that occurred during the time frame people were crossing Beringia. Remember:: the ultimate goal is to predict the best time of crossing. But all of those factors help lead us there. Steps to accessing these sources: 1. https://sites.smu.edu/cul/ 2. search ARTICLES (using key phrases such as “Beringia” or “Bering Land Bridge” make sure to use quotes around phrases) and refine to FULL TEXT ONLINE 3. Whenever the site wants a user name and password for authorization use---Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! 4. Please go beyond my recommended articles and find good resources to help fulfill the thesis (1) Topic What is beringia?? URL Link—Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://academic.eb.com/EBchecked/topic/1431315/Beringia (2) URL LINK--free access online- http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6174/961.full (3) Title Life and Times of the Bering Land Bridge (viewable screenshots) OR USE URL AND USE Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://sc2xx8ju8d.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Life+and+times+of+the+Bering+land+bridge&rft.jtitle=Nature&rft.au=Elias%2C+Scott+A&rft.au=Short%2C+Susan+K&rft.au=Nelson%2C+C+Hans&rft.au=Birks%2C+Hilary+H&rft.date=1996-07-04&rft.pub=Nature+Publishing+Group&rft.issn=0028-0836&rft.eissn=1476-4687&rft.volume=382&rft.issue=6586&rft.spage=60&rft_id=info:doi/10.1038%2F382060a0&rft.externalDocID=9846128&paramdict=en-US CITATION Elias, Scott A., et al. Nature (London): Life and Times of the Bering Land Bridge. 382 Vol. Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc, 07/04/1996. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. (4) Title Late Quaternary vegetation and climate history of the central Bering land bridge from St. Michael Island, western Alaska Citation Ager, Thomas A. Quaternary Research: Late Quaternary Vegetation and Climate History of the Central Bering Land Bridge from St. Michael Island, Western Alaska. 60 Vol. Elsevier, 2003. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. URL Link—Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://sc2xx8ju8d.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Late+Quaternary+vegetation+and+climate+history+of+the+central+Bering+land+bridge+from+St.+Michael+Island%2C+western+Alaska&rft.jtitle=Quaternary+Research&rft.au=Ager%2C+Thomas+A&rft.date=2003&rft.pub=Elsevier+Inc&rft.issn=0033-5894&rft.eissn=1096-0287&rft.volume=60&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=19&rft.epage=32&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2FS0033-5894%2803%2900068-1&rft.externalDocID=doi_10_1016_S0033_5894_03_00068_1&paramdict=en-US (5) TITLE (SCREENSHOTS TO VIEW) LOW DOWN ON LAND BRIDGE OR GO TO URL AND USE Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://sc2xx8ju8d.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Low-down+on+a+land+bridge&rft.jtitle=Nature&rft.au=Colinvaux%2C+Paul&rft.date=1996-07-04&rft.pub=Nature+Publishing+Group&rft.issn=0028-0836&rft.eissn=1476-4687&rft.volume=382&rft.issue=6586&rft.spage=21&rft.externalDBID=BSHEE&rft.externalDocID=18730090&paramdict=en-US CITATION Colinvaux, Paul. Nature (London): Low-Down on a Land Bridge. 382 Vol. Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc, 07/04/1996. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. (6) TITLE---SAVED PDF Cenozoic History of the Bering Land Bridge CITATION Hopkins, D. M. Science (New York, N.Y.): Cenozoic History of the Bering Land Bridge: The Seaway between the Pacific and Arctic Basins has often been a Land Route between Siberia and Alaska. 129 Vol. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 06/05/1959. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. Thesis By estimating the type of the environment, climate, and resources that were available to people migrating towards the new world of northeast Siberia and Beringia, I will conclude the most optimal time between 15000 and 23000 years ago that the peopling likely occurred. Outline Introductory Paragraph Description of Beringia, also referred to as the Bering Land Bridge. Describe the variables that are analyzed to estimate the time period of crossing. **Find the most official name for this time period? (15,000 to 20,000 years ago) Body Paragraph—extention of intro Speak about the time period. The maximum time was concluded because 23000 years ago, the continents of Asia and America split. Monte Verde site findings give us the minimum age of 15000 years ago. Body Paragraph The topography of beringia. (all description) This will include geographic location of beringia 20000 years ago—the world was much different then and continents we closer. Body Paragraph How the climate was during that time 15000 to 23000 years ago. If you can find both time periods that would be great. Just for an interesting tangent…talk about how the climate is during the present time (today) Body paragraph How the climate was changing. Body Paragraph The plants and vegetation of this time. (total description including lists of different plants, trees, or lack of) Body Paragraph How the climate effected it. **It is known that there were a lack of trees in the region during this time. Did this effect oxygen levels. Could vegetation survive? Body Paragraph How did the vegetation and climate effect people and animals. Did it kill of people, and make it harder for people to survive the crossing?? Explain if you think there was one or multiple attempts to cross the bering land bridge (based on online articles or books) ** There was not enough vegetation to feed all the animals ** Unproductive landscape to feed all those Body Paragraph How we know people were in existence during this time. Altai in souther Siberia—must have come from here because that’s where haplo groups are found in asia. The problem is that this assumes the people who live in Altai have stayed there since Body Paragraph Typical Migration Patterns of the people during this time and there motivation to cross the Land Bridge. ***Pleistocene migration pathways as inferred from modern mtDNA distrubtions Skeptical because X2a is from ice through corridor, even showing in (not like Hansel and Gretal lol) Body Paragraph Founder effect—a populations sampled of a larger populaion of which you have markers of the same frequency and u have not had a representative take a look. when groups left Siberia they didn’t effectively record the haplogroups (the people who were left) Body Paragraph What kind of people arrived to North America (Alaska). Examples of artifacts and different sites such as Monte Verde or other other hypothesized sites. **Fossil Records—large animals that need a lot of food Body Paragraph Incorporate how the artifacts you have found in previous paragraphs show how long ago the humans and animals were present in Beringia. Conclusion Finally, approximate a specific time period between 15000 to 23000 years ago. For example 16000 years ago. Explain why. Resources to Use: ** these are good sources to start with the research that gives different archeological or research proofs for the vegetation, animals, and peoplings that occurred during the time frame people were crossing Beringia. Remember:: the ultimate goal is to predict the best time of crossing. But all of those factors help lead us there. Steps to accessing these sources: 1. https://sites.smu.edu/cul/ 2. search ARTICLES (using key phrases such as “Beringia” or “Bering Land Bridge” make sure to use quotes around phrases) and refine to FULL TEXT ONLINE 3. Whenever the site wants a user name and password for authorization use---Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! 4. Please go beyond my recommended articles and find good resources to help fulfill the thesis (1) Topic What is beringia?? URL Link—Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://academic.eb.com/EBchecked/topic/1431315/Beringia (2) URL LINK--free access online- http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6174/961.full (3) Title Life and Times of the Bering Land Bridge (viewable screenshots) OR USE URL AND USE Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://sc2xx8ju8d.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Life+and+times+of+the+Bering+land+bridge&rft.jtitle=Nature&rft.au=Elias%2C+Scott+A&rft.au=Short%2C+Susan+K&rft.au=Nelson%2C+C+Hans&rft.au=Birks%2C+Hilary+H&rft.date=1996-07-04&rft.pub=Nature+Publishing+Group&rft.issn=0028-0836&rft.eissn=1476-4687&rft.volume=382&rft.issue=6586&rft.spage=60&rft_id=info:doi/10.1038%2F382060a0&rft.externalDocID=9846128&paramdict=en-US CITATION Elias, Scott A., et al. Nature (London): Life and Times of the Bering Land Bridge. 382 Vol. Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc, 07/04/1996. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. (4) Title Late Quaternary vegetation and climate history of the central Bering land bridge from St. Michael Island, western Alaska Citation Ager, Thomas A. Quaternary Research: Late Quaternary Vegetation and Climate History of the Central Bering Land Bridge from St. Michael Island, Western Alaska. 60 Vol. Elsevier, 2003. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. URL Link—Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://sc2xx8ju8d.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Late+Quaternary+vegetation+and+climate+history+of+the+central+Bering+land+bridge+from+St.+Michael+Island%2C+western+Alaska&rft.jtitle=Quaternary+Research&rft.au=Ager%2C+Thomas+A&rft.date=2003&rft.pub=Elsevier+Inc&rft.issn=0033-5894&rft.eissn=1096-0287&rft.volume=60&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=19&rft.epage=32&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2FS0033-5894%2803%2900068-1&rft.externalDocID=doi_10_1016_S0033_5894_03_00068_1&paramdict=en-US (5) TITLE (SCREENSHOTS TO VIEW) LOW DOWN ON LAND BRIDGE OR GO TO URL AND USE Username= 39978527 Password= Houstontx1! http://sc2xx8ju8d.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Low-down+on+a+land+bridge&rft.jtitle=Nature&rft.au=Colinvaux%2C+Paul&rft.date=1996-07-04&rft.pub=Nature+Publishing+Group&rft.issn=0028-0836&rft.eissn=1476-4687&rft.volume=382&rft.issue=6586&rft.spage=21&rft.externalDBID=BSHEE&rft.externalDocID=18730090&paramdict=en-US CITATION Colinvaux, Paul. Nature (London): Low-Down on a Land Bridge. 382 Vol. Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc, 07/04/1996. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. (6) TITLE---SAVED PDF Cenozoic History of the Bering Land Bridge CITATION Hopkins, D. M. Science (New York, N.Y.): Cenozoic History of the Bering Land Bridge: The Seaway between the Pacific and Arctic Basins has often been a Land Route between Siberia and Alaska. 129 Vol. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 06/05/1959. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. 61. Bioethics and society ? Header: Write your name, section, date, and Paper #2 in the header ? Length: 900 – 1,100 words (for body of paper, not including bibliography) ? Citations: Cite your sources! Please see the guidelines in the bCourses “pages” section o If you would like to cite lectures, please use the following citation format: (lecturer's last name, 2014). E.g. (Thottathil, 2014) and bibliography format: Lecturer's last name (2014). Lecture in ESPM 162. Date of lecture. • Bibliography: Include a bibliography at the end of your paper THE HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is in the midst of a review process to determine whether to ban the herbicide atrazine or to allow its continued use. You have been brought in as an ethics advisor as part of this process. The EPA has asked you to write a report about the ethical and political dimensions of the decision before them. Lucky you! You have just completed a training (ESPM 162 Unit IV) that gave you many conceptual tools and examples to help you do this. You are one of several representatives from different disciplines who are presenting evidence about atrazine in the decision-making process. The EPA has asked you to consider the evidence from the experts below in the report you’re writing. INSTRUCTIONS Write a 900 – 1,100 word report that tells the EPA whether you advise the agency to ban atrazine or allow its continued use. Clearly explain why you made this decision by detailing what you feel are the most salient ethical and political dimensions of agricultural use of atrazine in the U.S. Academic goal Strong assignments will include clear, well-articulated links between the course concepts, readings, lectures, and details about atrazine. The goal of this assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of: • Ethical and regulatory frameworks for environmental health decision-making (utilitarian vs rights-based approaches, distributive & procedural justice, cost-benefit analysis, precautionary principle, risk analysis, democratizing decision-making) • The role of science, scientific data, and scientific uncertainty in environmental health decision-making processes RESEARCH & CITATIONS We have included useful information about atrazine below. You are also strongly encourage to do your own research. ***Please find original citations for any information below if you use it in your paper*** BACKGROUND DETAILS Product details • Atrazine is a product of Syngenta. The company maintains that the chemical composition of the product is a trade secret. • More than 76 million pounds of atrazine are used each year in the U.S. Maximum Contaminant Level • The U.S. EPA used a risk analysis model to set a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water (the level at which exposure from drinking the water is considered to be safe). The MCL for atrazine is set at 3 parts per billion. Regulatory precedent • Other countries have come to very divergent decision about atrazine • Based on a cumulative risk assessment, the U.S. EPA has stated that "the risks associated with the pesticide residues pose a reasonable certainty of no harm" and that atrazine is "not likely" to cause cancer in humans. • Taking a precautionary approach, the European Union banned its use based on data associating it with health and environmental problems. TESTIMONY & EVIDENCE Epidemiologist • A number of studies have identified associations between atrazine exposure and risk of cancers. o A higher risk of ovarian cancer was observed in a study of women farm workers exposed to atrazine. However, this study could not show a statistically significant correlation between exposure and cancer, could not demonstrate a dose-response relationship, and could not control for potentially confounding factors such as smoking. o Another study found a higher incidence of breast cancer in regions (demarcated as counties) with a medium to high level of exposure, which was determined by assessing the use of atrazine on agricultural fields and levels of atrazine in drinking water. o A higher risk of a cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was also observed in several studies of male agricultural workers who mixed or applied atrazine. However, a re-analysis of these studies found that when exposure to other pesticides was taken into consideration, there was little association between exposure to atrazine and the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. o An independent scientific panel which assessed all available scientific information in 2009 noted strong evidence pointing towards an association between atrazine and certain types of rare cancers (including thyroid and ovarian) and called for more research funding to investigate these links. • Studies have also demonstrated possible endocrine disrupting effects of atrazine exposure including male infertility and increased risk of miscarriage or of having an underweight or premature baby. • Several studies assert that there is no statistically significant correlation between atrazine and human health effects. However, most of these studies have authors affiliated with Syngenta, the manufacturer of atrazine. Toxicologist • Several studies found either a higher number or earlier appearance of mammary gland tumors in rats fed a moderate to high level of atrazine. These studies suggest that atrazine could be a possible breast cancer causing agent. However, similar studies in a different breed of rat found no correlation. • A growing body of toxicological data suggests that atrazine is an endocrine disruptor. Amphibian studies have shown that atrazine disrupts hormone production by inhibiting the production of testosterone and inducing the production of estrogen. It has also been associated with sexual abnormalities, immune failure, retardation of growth and development, and birth defects. Environmental justice advocate • Rural communities are exposed through contamination of drinking water. o During peak agricultural seasons, levels of atrazine in drinking water have been known to exceed the MCL, reaching up to 9-10 parts per billion for weeks. • Farmers and farm workers are more heavily exposed to atrazine than the general population. o Note the details provided about farm worker health risks by the epidemiologist above o Farm workers also typically suffer cumulative exposure from multiple pesticides in addition to atrazine • While all containers of atrazine include instructions on “best” and “safe” use, the instructions are typically written in English. For the majority of farmworkers in the U.S., English is a second language; they may not be able to read instructions. • In the U.S., farm workers are excluded from the protections of legislation that applies to workers in other sectors, such as the National Labor Relations Act and Fair Labor Standards Act. This means they are often paid less than the minimum wage, do not have any formal grievance process for unfair or unsafe working conditions, and are not unionized. Ecologist • Atrazine is found in surface waters (lakes, rivers, and streams) where it typically degrades within 100 days. • Atrazine can also migrate through soil to groundwater; once it leaches into groundwater, it can remain for decades. • Some studies have found that fish and amphibians exposed to atrazine in surface water suffer a range of health effects including reproductive problems, compromised growth, and damaged immune function. • In estuaries, atrazine has been demonstrated to inhibit photosynthesis in phytoplankton, which may negatively affect higher level species in the aquatic food chain such as clams and oysters that rely on phytoplankton as a food source. • Atrazine can be an effective tool to help farmers practice agricultural methods that decrease soil erosion (a major agricultural problem) by reducing the number of times a farmer plows his or her field, this is called conservation tillage. Economist • Atrazine is a more affordable option for farmers than other herbicides. • Several studies have tried to weigh the costs and benefits of using atrazine: o Syngenta asserts that the cost of an atrazine ban would be $555 million annually. This is based on the idea that atrazine increases corn yields by 6%, farmers do not choose an alternative pesticide, and that consumers have no preference for organic food. o The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated the aggregate economic loss to society of banning atrazine to be $355 million annually. o A university-affiliated economist doing a meta-analysis argued that yields were only increased by 1-4%, and in some locations yield was not increased at all. The economist argued that this does not justify using a potentially dangerous pesticide. COURSE CONCEPTS FROM UNIT IV Better Living Through Chemistry • Chemical body burden • Toxic trespass • Endocrine disruption • Transcorporeality Unintended Consequences • Technological optimism • Eco-socio complexity • Antibiotic use in animal agriculture Environmental Justice • Distributive justice • Procedural justice • Cost-benefit analysis • Utilitarian vs rights-based models • CHAMACOS study • A Tale of Two Sandys • Climate justice Risk Analysis • Epidemiology • Toxicology • Sources of uncertainty • Blackboxing • The case of asbestos A Precautionary Approach • The case of DBCP • The case of BPA • “Guilty until proven innocent” / “innocent until proven guilty” • “Lack of proof of harm does not equal proof of lack of harm” • “Toxic soup” • John Snow Debating “sound science” • Manufacturing doubt • Contested knowledge Democratizing Decision-making • Technocracy • Citizen science • The case of Love Canal • Right to Know