Kaitlyn Massey

Biology Pre-AP period 5

January 21, 2014
Many years ago, colonists traveled fro t!e "nited #tates all t!e $ay to Africa in
searc! of slaves% &!ey 'uilt 'oats 'ig enoug! to !old up to one t!ousand people and
'egan t!eir (ourney% But $!at t!ey didn)t *no$ is t!at t!ey !ad a fe$ guests $it! t!e%
+ats% ,undreds of t!e 'oarded t!e s!ips 'efore t!e Aericans 'egan t!eir voyage% &!e
rats soe!o$ anaged to a*e t!e entire trip alive and $ell% -!en t!e 'oats ade
anc!or, t!e rats cae flooding out and infested t!eir ne$ found land% As Africans $ere
leaving t!eir !oes, t!e rats $ere 'eginning to e.plore and get settled in to t!e curious
ne$ place *no$n as t!e Kala!ari desert, a dry not!ingness after t!e Aericans too* all
t!e Africans $it! t!e% At first, it $as very difficult for t!e rats to adapt to t!is 'arren
$asteland% &!ere $as little to no food or $ater and t!e only source of s!elter fro t!e
s$eltering sun $as underground% /ver t!e years, any of t!e rats died due to
de!ydration, starvation and !eat stro*e% But a very fe$ luc*y rats lived and eventually
developed adaptations t!at !elped t!e to live in t!e erciless deserts of Africa% As
!undreds of years passed 'y, t!ese rats lost a(ority of t!eir fur to protect t!e fro
getting over!eated, gre$ long eyelas!es uc! li*e t!at of a cael to *eep sand out of
t!eir delicate eyes, developed large, s!arp teet! to crac* into t!e eggs t!at t!ey feed off
of, gre$ scales and toug! s*in on t!eir feet to protect t!e fro potential 'urns as t!ey
$al* on t!e !ot sand and t!eir tails gre$ s!orter $it! tie to prevent t!eir predators
fro 'eing a'le to capture t!e easily% &!ese rats t!en reproduced and are no$ one of
t!e 'iggest coponents of t!e Kala!ari desert)s ecosyste% Because of t!ese adaptations,
t!e rats not only survive t!e !ars! African cliate and lac* of resources, 'ut t!ey t!rive%
And if it $eren)t for t!e la$s of evolution, discovered 'y 0!arles 1ar$in, t!ese rats)
c!ances of survival $ould 'e 2ero%