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Documentation Explanation 2

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When writing a research paper, you have to tell the reader where your information came from. You do that in two ways:

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1. You have a works cited at the end of your paper and

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2. you have parenthetical (internal) documentation.

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In this example, you'll see where the source information has been cited (in bold), and you can match it up with the Works Cited below. The words that are used to alphabetize the works cited (author's last name or article title) are the words that go in the parenthesis. 

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Where would we be without humans? Obviously, there would be no one to ask, much less answer, such an interesting question. Operating on the assumption that the world needs humans, is there a point where there are too many? According to the website Worldometer, there are over 8 billion people in the world with 2.9 billion living in China and India compared to the United States which is the third most populated country with 335 million people (Current World Population). Sheer numbers alone does not make a species of flora or fauna invasive. To be invasive, a species must be able to “adapt to new areas easily and reproduce quickly.” In addition, it must “thrive and cause harm to the habitat and economy” (Shulka). Does this describe humans? Resoundingly, the answer is yes. Humans should be considered an invasive species because they have shown an ability to adjust to almost any environment, reproduce at an alarming rate, and have caused immense damage to the planet and its non-human inhabitants.

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When it comes to being an animal, humans fall short in their design which makes it all the more amazing that they have done so well. The term homo sapien, which means “wise man,” is applied by some to include all species and subspecies of man dating back 300,000 years (Dorey). During that time humans have changed little and not only survived, but they have thrived. According to Greek mythology, Epimetheus was in charge of giving all the animals their various qualities: speed, cunning, strength, fur, claws, wings… all necessary for defense and survival. But “by the time he got to man Epimetheus had given all the good qualities out and there were none left…” (Hunt). Man can outrun very few animals; for claws they have weak nails that are easily broken; and as far as their skin goes, it has no protection from sharp objects or inclement weather.  The average human is 5.4 feet tall (Men average 5.6 and women average 5.2) (Roser) and walks upright on two legs. Each of its two arms ends with hands that contain an opposable thumb which allows it to easily pick up objects, giving a distinct advantage over other animals. (Humans can use that gripping ability to handle weapons.) In addition, humans have forward facing eyes that mark them as a predator. It gives them stereoscopic vision/ depth perception which is necessary for tracking prey, as opposed to side-mounted eyes that give increased peripheral vision needed by prey animals to alert them to attack (How to ‘Read” a Skull: Eye Placement and Size). Despite their physical weaknesses, humans have one advantage over animals that makes them so dangerous: their brains.

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Works Cited

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“Current World Population.” Worldometer, www.worldometers.info/world-population/.

 

Dorey, Fran. “Homo Sapiens - Modern Humans.” Australian Museum, 16 Oct.

          2020, australian.museum/learn/science/human-evolution/homo-sapiens-modern-

          humans/.

 

“How to ‘Read’ a Skull: Eye Placement and Size.” Skeletons Museum of

          Osteology, www.skeletonmuseum.com/education-resources/how-to-read-a-skull-eye-

          placement-and-size.

 

Hunt, John M. “The Creation of Man by Prometheus.” Greek Mythology,

         www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/creationMan.html.

 

Roser, Max, et al. “Human Height.” Our World in Data, U of Oxford, May 2019, 

         ourworldindata.org/human-height.

 

Shulke, Nikita. “Are Humans an Invasive Species?” Earth.org, 15 Aug. 2022, 

         earth.org/are-humans-an-invasive-species/.

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