Recognizing Patterns: A Response to the Interactive

1) Describe the patterns you see in the temperature (climate) record in the time frame beginning
about 8 million years ago to the present. What is the overall trend in temperature over that period?
How does variation in temperature change over the timeline shown?
The average temperature in the climate record goes from warm to cool over 8 million years.
However, the current temperature is almost to the warmth level that existed 8 million years ago.
Major fluctuations have occurred over time, due to natural feedback loops, but the overall trend has
been a temperature decline. Whereas 8 million years ago there was very little variation in climate in
short periods, variations have become increasingly common. This is demonstrated in the record after
3 million years ago by major graphical temperature changes in relatively short time periods. About
356,000 years ago, climate variability reached its highest fluctuation period yet.

2) The red bars show the period of time in which new species of hominids appear in the fossil
record. What patterns do you see in the appearance of new hominid species? Is there a period in
the timeline where new species are appearing more rapidly? If so, what, according to Dr. Potts
theory might account for those changes? Is his theory supported?
round 8 million years ago, no hominids existed. From 7 - 4 million years ago, five species of
A
hominids had their reign, of which their existences rarely overlapped. After about 3 million years ago,
many species of hominids began to appear. This is the time period that climate variability was rising.
Potts theory states that climate variability forced hominids to adjust to a variety of different climates,
making them able to survive and thrive in a wide range of conditions. This evolutionary trait alone
shows drastic improvement in individual survival success (and perhaps intelligence). His theory is
supported by the evidence provided within the graph, as speciation means new differences, and the
new differences implied were developmental and spurred by climate.
In addition to hominid speciation, hominids began rapidly evolving in skill and intelligence as
climate variability increased. About 2.6 million years ago, early technology was born. At just after 1
million years ago, humans gained control of fire and grew in size of brains. All of this was occurring
when drastic changes in temperature and climate forced humans to adapt, evolve, and, eventually,
figure out methods of survival when needed.

3) Choose one of the important milestones, shown in blue on the interactive, and explain how that
milestone might be linked to a change in climate.
I chose The Turning Point, or the creation of farming and agriculture, that occurred around
12,000 years ago. Farming caused a change in the landscape of the ground - altering its reflectivity,
or albedo, and removing the photosynthetic organisms that previously lived there. Farming can
require deforestation, decreasing the number of photosynthesizing plants and entailing that less
carbon is sequestered and less oxygen is produced. More recent methods of agriculture are very

industrial, requiring many fossil fuels for crop transportation and farming equipment. Pesticides and
herbicides include greenhouse gases, as well, and are often applied generously for crop efficiency.
The modern production of meat in America requires incredible amounts of greenhouse
gases. Beef (cow) requires the most CO2 for production, and causes the release of methane, a very
powerful greenhouse gas. In addition to greenhouse gas release, animal farming produces waste,
which can end up in the water. Water pollution has many consequences when it comes to climate,
including decreased photosynthetic activity in streams.

4) Neanderthals, our closest hominid relative, was present, at least in the fossil record, for a period
of about 300,000 years. Homo sapiens have only been around for a little less than 200,000 years.
We know that our current climate is warning. How are conditions and the potential for our adaptation
to climate change different now? Be sure to include both positive and negative differences.
Neanderthals lived in cooler environments than the average human today. They adapted and
evolved to build body heat conservation to withstand the cold. They had large noses for breathing
cold, dry air. And, they were the first to develop clothing to keep warm.
Today, we are faced with warming temperatures and a potentially massive increase in
precipitation and humidity in some regions. The behaviors and qualities developing in Neanderthals
are not as helpful in todays climate. One of them - the creation of clothing to keep warm - is a
development that could quickly be reversed, if it werent for societal norms. The human culture finds
clothing and modesty important, so it will be nearly impossible to demand the removal of all clothing.
The other evolved characteristics will take much time to reverse, so new adaptations will need to
occur to withstand the warming climates of the future.
Our potential to adapt in the future is a little less than the potential that the Neanderthals
possessed. There are ways to keep warm. Generating warmth can occur through many simple
processes and principles, from using clothing barriers to keeping body heat, to starting a fire.
However, generating the cold is much more difficult. There isnt a cold fire. Too much heat can
overwhelm the modern human quickly, whereas there were simpler fixes for surviving the cold of the
past.