User:Aseja Dava/sandbox

Article evaluation: "Great Oxygenation Event"
The overview at the beginning of the article contained a “clarification needed” marker, meaning that the passage indicated is hard for readers to understand. Reading it over, I believe that describing the function of cyanobacteria could be improved upon by removing the scientific jargon that makes up the majority of the sentence.

The section “Late evolution of oxy-photosynthesis theory” was altogether hard to follow. To my understanding, oxy-photosynthesis was never defined, and the use of technical terms left me with many questions.

Checking through several citations and links, I’ve found that they all lead to reasonably reliable sources and other Wikipedia articles that aided in the further understanding of the article subject.

I also found it surprising that there was no mention of the Huronian glaciation given that the article went into some of the major outcomes of the oxygenation event, including mineral diversification and the evolution of eukaryotic organisms.

Evaluation
Within the section labelled “Geology”, there is a paragraph regarding how the Isthmus of Panama contributes to increased biodiversity. I think the article would benefit from separating the information about the geologic formation of the isthmus and the effects on biodiversity. It could work to transfer the last paragraph within the “Geology” section into the “Biosphere”, but I think it would be beneficial to create a section for “Evolutionary biology” where one could put information about gene flow and migration before moving on to the present day biodiversity.

After reading the Talk page, I also realized that there is plagiarism within the “Geology” section of the article that is still present.

Sources to improve article

 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/14712148/v17inone/nfp_podifssbtiop.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/00401951/v622icomplete/145_tftfpsgeotpi.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/23752548/v02i0008/nfp_fotiop.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/09067590/v33i0002/326_tgabir.xml

Evaluation
I found that the link to the NFLD government site looked odd in the intro section, and don't think it is entirely necessary to the article. The part about the name origin is interesting, but could benefit being moved to the section labelled “History”. I think the article could also benefit from a section about the geological formation of Mistaken point - how the fossils got there, the tectonic uplift process. One could also go more into detail about the various fossils found and studied at Mistaken Point in the “Fossils” section.

Sources to improve article

 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/00948373/v29i0004/527_potokaeaampn.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/00846597/v33inone/421_tebnooaate.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/00167878/v129i0003/264_tefocfloambr.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/03019268/v268icomplete/227_anemftebompn.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/00948373/v39i0004/591_psotokmcfmpn.xml

Evaluation
The article lacks a lot of information. Some additions that could be made: adding sections labelled “Geologic formation”, “Fossils”, and “History”. An image of the hills could be added, as well as a graphic of geologic history to illustrate where the Ediacaran period occurred.

Sources to improve article

 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/00310182/v513icomplete/132_pttpotenhsna.xml
 * https://journals-scholarsportal-info.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/pdf/03115518/v31i0003/215_gdabcodaief.xml

Editing a Wikipedia Page
Hi Kelly, I copy-pasted the before and after of the sections I edited on this page.

Before:

Mistaken Point (46°37′32″N 53°09′41″W) is a small headland on the Avalon Peninsula with the ecological reserve. Mistaken Point takes its name from the deadly results of mistaking it for Cape Race, in the area's typically foggy weather. Sailors who would make this mistake would turn north, thinking they had reached Cape Race Harbour, and immediately run into treacherous rocks.

After:

Mistaken Point (46°37′32″N 53°09′41″W) is a small headland on the Avalon Peninsula. Historically, Mistaken Point has been mistaken for Cape Race due to the area's typically foggy weather conditions. Sailors making this error would turn north, thinking they had reached Cape Race Harbour, and immediately run into treacherous rocks.

Before:

The first fossil to be found in the area, Fractofusus misrai, was discovered in June 1967 by Shiva Balak Misra, an Indian graduate student studying geology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The site became quickly recognized in the mid-1980s as an important find containing probably the oldest metazoan fossils in North America and the most ancient deep-water marine fossils in the world. a A 5 kilometer stretch of coastline was first established provisionally as a reserve by the provincial government in 1984 and was permanently designated in 1987. It was later expanded in 2009 after further fossil discoveries

After:

The first fossil to be found in the area, Fractofusus misrai, was discovered in June 1967 by Shiva Balak Misra, an Indian graduate student studying geology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. In the mid-1980s, the site quickly became recognized as an important location containing possibly the oldest metazoan fossils in North America, and the most ancient deep-water marine fossils in the world. A five kilometer stretch of coastline was first established provisionally as a reserve by the provincial government in 1984 and was permanently designated in 1987. It was later expanded in 2009 after further fossil discoveries.

= Black brant = From the Wikipedia page: black brant

The black brant or Pacific brent goose (Branta bernicla nigricans) is a subspecies of the brant goose that breeds in Alaska and winters in Baja California. The black brant is a small goose that features a small bill and white feathers on either side of its neck. The diet of the black brant is herbivorous, mainly feeding on the seagrass that is found in wintering sites. There are an estimated 115,000 black brant in the world and about 14,000 are taken each year by hunters. Fox predation of eggs is thought to be significant and, in 2006, the U.S. began a 5-year fox removal program. The population has been as high as 200,000 in 1981, and as low as 100,000 in 1987.

Migration patterns
The black brant migrates between the breeding sites of the North American Arctic and eastern Russian Arctic to the wintering grounds along the Pacific coast from Alaska down to Mexico. The brant typically spends the months of June to August in the breeding sites before migrating south to their wintering grounds from November to April. However, changes in climate have affected the climatic factors of various wintering sites, and also modified the distribution of the black brant’s food source. In response, the black brant’s winter range has shifted northward to escape the effects of warming temperatures. It is suggested that as climate change intensifies, more black brants will continue travelling further northward in order to find suitable wintering sites.

The Alaskan peninsula serves as the site with the highest population density of black brants during wintering, distributed across several primary areas: Izembek Lagoon, Kinzarof Lagoon, Big Lagoon in Morzhovoi Bay, and Bechevin Bay. In their wintering site, the black brant must consume enough food in order to support its return migration to the breeding grounds.

Conservation
One of the largest threats that the black brant faces is the destruction of their wintering habitats. Human development along the Pacific coast, as well as the effects of climate change both contribute to making the habitat unsuitable for the black brant. Meanwhile along the Alaskan peninsula, the rising temperatures have contributed to an increased availability of eelgrass, the black brant’s primary food source.

As the result of these habitat changes, an increasing number of black brants are wintering in the Alaskan peninsula. As this continues to increase, it will be essential to continue further research in order to assure that the habitat of the Alaskan peninsula contains enough resources to support the wintering black brant population.