Class today involved a lot of discussion because we talked about the origin of life and the topic of evolution. We also talked about plate tectonics and the layers of the earth. The innermost layer is the inner core which is a solid layer that rotates at a different speed than the rest of the world. That is surrounded by an outer core that is liquid. This is surrounded by the largest layer of the earth: the molten mantle. This is surrounded by the crust which is comprised of plates. These plates are constantly shifting and moving which is the reason for mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Mountains are formed when two plates collide together. Earthquakes happen when two plates that are traveling opposite directions rub up against each other and cause a sudden movement in the earth’s crust. Volcanoes are formed when two plates are moving away from each other, forming a convection current in the magma. The are also formed when one plate slips under another, which is called a subduction zone. This was all very fascinating, but I wondered what it had to do with marine biology…. Originally, the continents we see today were all one massive land. Due to movement of the earth’s plates, what we called “Pangaea” separated into the continents that we know today. This also created the oceans that we know today, including the Pacific and the Atlantic. Also, when plates collide underwater, they create underwater reefs in which fish live in. The evolution of life helps us to understand how micro organisms evolved into fish and how, due to Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, certain fish learned to adapt to their environment, such as the clown fish and the anemone. As always, I am looking forward to what will be learning tomorrow.
