A fossil skeleton of a dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx, preserved in volcanic ash, was discovered in Liaoning, China, in 1996. Interestingly, the fossil included a pattern of fine lines surrounding the skeletal bones. Some paleontologists interpret the lines as evidence that Sinosauropteryx had feathers. However, critics have opposed the idea that Sinosauropteryx was a feathered dinosaur, citing several reasons.
First, the critics points out that the fine lines may not even represent functional structures of a living dinosaur, but rather structures that were formed after the animal’s death. After the animal died and was buried in volcanic ash, its skin may have decomposed into fibers. The skin fibers then became preserved as lines in the fossil; the lines were misinterpreted as evidence of feathers.
Second, even if the fine lines are remains of real structures of a Sinosauropteryx, scientists cannot tell with certainty what part of the dinosaur’s anatomy the structures were. Many dinosaurs had frills, ornamental fan-shaped structures growing out of some parts of their bodies. Some of the critics argue that the lines surrounding the skeleton are much more likely to be fossilized remains of frills than remains of feathers.
A third objection is based on the fact that the usual functions of feathers are to help animals fly or regulate their internal temperature. However, the structures represented by the lines in the Sinosauropteryx fossil were mostly located along the backbone and the tail of the animal. This would have made the structures quite useless for flight and of very limited use in thermoregulation. This suggests that the lines do not represent feathers.
Both the reading and the listening discuss about the fossil of a dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx, found in Liaoning, China. The writer states that the critics doesn't agree with the idea that Sinosauropteryx was a feathered dinosaur. However, the lecturer opposes this notion by stating that there is a strong evidence that Sinosauropteryx had feathers, and attacks each of the points made in the article.
First, the author avers that the fine lines found at the back of the Sinosauropteryx might not be a significant feature of a dinosaur. According to the reading, the line may have been formed after the animal's death. On the other hand, the professor rebuts this point by stating that it is very unlikely that the line was formed after the Sinosauropteryx died. She asserts that the fossils of other animals that died within the region where the fossils of the Sinosauropteryx was discovered doesn't have such lines.
Secondly, the reading passages mentions that the lines on the fossil remains of Sinosauropteryx likely to represent frills rather than feathers. This specific argument is challenged by the speaker. She contends that both the frills and feathers have different chemical components. Feathers contain a chemical compound known as Protein Keratin, which is not found in the frills.
Therefore, since this chemical was seen in the lines on the fossilized remains of the Sinosauropteryx, it is very likely that these dinosaurs have feathers.
Finally, the author posits that because the lines of Sinosauropteryx was located along the backbone and tail of the animal, it is very impossible to fly or to perform thermoregulation, which are vital functions of feathers. Nevertheless, the lecturer refutes this claim by saying that there are other functions other than flying and thermoregulation which are performed with feathers. According to her, just like the Peacock use its feathers for display function, it is very likely that the feathers of Sinosauropteryx serve the same purpose.
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Comments
Essay evaluations by e-grader
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 160, Rule ID: EN_CONTRACTION_SPELLING
Message: Possible spelling mistake found
Suggestion: doesn't
...ina. The writer states that the critics doesnt agree with the idea that Sinosauroptery...
^^^^^^
Line 3, column 202, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'animals'' or 'animal's'?
Suggestion: animals'; animal's
...the line may have been formed after the animals death. On the other hand, the professor...
^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 491, Rule ID: EN_CONTRACTION_SPELLING
Message: Possible spelling mistake found
Suggestion: doesn't
...s of the Sinosauropteryx was discovered doesnt have such lines. Secondly, the read...
^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, finally, first, however, if, may, nevertheless, second, secondly, so, therefore, as for, on the other hand
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 17.0 10.4613686534 163% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 2.0 5.04856512141 40% => OK
Conjunction : 6.0 7.30242825607 82% => OK
Relative clauses : 19.0 12.0772626932 157% => OK
Pronoun: 29.0 22.412803532 129% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 38.0 30.3222958057 125% => OK
Nominalization: 5.0 5.01324503311 100% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1692.0 1373.03311258 123% => OK
No of words: 319.0 270.72406181 118% => OK
Chars per words: 5.30407523511 5.08290768461 104% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.22617688928 4.04702891845 104% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.08673183873 2.5805825403 120% => OK
Unique words: 158.0 145.348785872 109% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.495297805643 0.540411800872 92% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 516.6 419.366225166 123% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.55342163355 103% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 6.0 3.25607064018 184% => OK
Article: 8.0 8.23620309051 97% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 1.25165562914 80% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.51434878587 66% => OK
Preposition: 4.0 2.5761589404 155% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 15.0 13.0662251656 115% => OK
Sentence length: 21.0 21.2450331126 99% => OK
Sentence length SD: 41.676318882 49.2860985944 85% => OK
Chars per sentence: 112.8 110.228320801 102% => OK
Words per sentence: 21.2666666667 21.698381199 98% => OK
Discourse Markers: 7.4 7.06452816374 105% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.09492273731 122% => OK
Language errors: 3.0 4.19205298013 72% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 4.0 4.33554083885 92% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 5.0 4.45695364238 112% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.27373068433 140% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.226867523268 0.272083759551 83% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.082454539405 0.0996497079465 83% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0710802042763 0.0662205650399 107% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.142443035302 0.162205337803 88% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0664240733133 0.0443174109184 150% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.2 13.3589403974 106% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 50.16 53.8541721854 93% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 5.55761589404 158% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.5 11.0289183223 104% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.46 12.2367328918 110% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.59 8.42419426049 102% => OK
difficult_words: 79.0 63.6247240618 124% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 10.7273730684 103% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.4 10.498013245 99% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.2008830022 80% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 73.3333333333 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 22.0 Out of 30
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 160, Rule ID: EN_CONTRACTION_SPELLING
Message: Possible spelling mistake found
Suggestion: doesn't
...ina. The writer states that the critics doesnt agree with the idea that Sinosauroptery...
^^^^^^
Line 3, column 202, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'animals'' or 'animal's'?
Suggestion: animals'; animal's
...the line may have been formed after the animals death. On the other hand, the professor...
^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 491, Rule ID: EN_CONTRACTION_SPELLING
Message: Possible spelling mistake found
Suggestion: doesn't
...s of the Sinosauropteryx was discovered doesnt have such lines. Secondly, the read...
^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, finally, first, however, if, may, nevertheless, second, secondly, so, therefore, as for, on the other hand
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 17.0 10.4613686534 163% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 2.0 5.04856512141 40% => OK
Conjunction : 6.0 7.30242825607 82% => OK
Relative clauses : 19.0 12.0772626932 157% => OK
Pronoun: 29.0 22.412803532 129% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 38.0 30.3222958057 125% => OK
Nominalization: 5.0 5.01324503311 100% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1692.0 1373.03311258 123% => OK
No of words: 319.0 270.72406181 118% => OK
Chars per words: 5.30407523511 5.08290768461 104% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.22617688928 4.04702891845 104% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.08673183873 2.5805825403 120% => OK
Unique words: 158.0 145.348785872 109% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.495297805643 0.540411800872 92% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 516.6 419.366225166 123% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.55342163355 103% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 6.0 3.25607064018 184% => OK
Article: 8.0 8.23620309051 97% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 1.25165562914 80% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.51434878587 66% => OK
Preposition: 4.0 2.5761589404 155% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 15.0 13.0662251656 115% => OK
Sentence length: 21.0 21.2450331126 99% => OK
Sentence length SD: 41.676318882 49.2860985944 85% => OK
Chars per sentence: 112.8 110.228320801 102% => OK
Words per sentence: 21.2666666667 21.698381199 98% => OK
Discourse Markers: 7.4 7.06452816374 105% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.09492273731 122% => OK
Language errors: 3.0 4.19205298013 72% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 4.0 4.33554083885 92% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 5.0 4.45695364238 112% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.27373068433 140% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.226867523268 0.272083759551 83% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.082454539405 0.0996497079465 83% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0710802042763 0.0662205650399 107% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.142443035302 0.162205337803 88% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0664240733133 0.0443174109184 150% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.2 13.3589403974 106% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 50.16 53.8541721854 93% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 5.55761589404 158% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.5 11.0289183223 104% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.46 12.2367328918 110% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.59 8.42419426049 102% => OK
difficult_words: 79.0 63.6247240618 124% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 10.7273730684 103% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.4 10.498013245 99% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.2008830022 80% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 73.3333333333 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 22.0 Out of 30
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.