Did bees (a type of insect) exist on Earth as early as 200 million years ago? Such a theory is supported by the discovery of very old fossil structures that resemble bee nests. The structures have been found inside 200- million-year-old fossilized trees in the state of Arizona in the southwestern United States. However, many skeptics doubt that the structures were created by bees. The skeptics support their view with several arguments.
No Fossils of Actual Bees
First, no fossil remains of actual bees have ever been found that date to 200 million years ago. The earliest preserved body of a bee is 100 million years old—only half as old as the fossilized structures discovered in Arizona.
Absence of Flowering Plants
A second reason to doubt that bees existed 200 million years ago is the absence of flowering plants in that period. Today's bees feed almost exclusively on the flowers of flowering plants; in fact, bees and flowering plants have evolved a close, mutually dependent biological relationship. Flowering plants, however, first appeared on Earth 125 million years ago. Given the bees’ close association with flowering plants, it is unlikely bees could have existed before that time.
Structures Lack Some Details
Third, while the fossilized structures found in Arizona are somewhat similar to nest chambers made by modern bees, they lack some of the finer details of bees’ nests. For example, chambers of modern bee nests are closed by caps that have a spiral pattern, but the fossilized chambers lack such caps. That suggests the fossilized structures were made by other insects, such as wood-boring beetles.
The reading and the lecture both discuss the existence of bees'. The article states that there is no evidence of bees' existence around 200 million years ago and it provides three plausible explanations for that. However, the lecture contrast with specific points made in the reading passage. The professor says that there are some possibilities of bees' existence and elaborates hereunder.
The first point the professor makes that the bees' could not be preserved was may be due to lack of the tree which makes the sticky resin substance to preserve the bees'. He adds the point that the tree with sticky resin was rare 200 million years ago, without that sticky resin the bees' can't be preserved. This point contrasts the point made in the reading that bees' fossils are not found dated to 200 million years ago.
Secondly, to illustrate, he explains that early bees' might be feeding on non-flowering plants such as ferns or pines. In addition, he says that flowering plants might not be available for the bees' to feed during 200 million years ago. Furthermore, he adds that bees' have adapted to flowering plants when they evolved and continuing thereafter until now. On the other hand, the reading states that without the evidence of flowering plants during the time, the existence of bees' may not be possible.
Finally, the tutor mentions that there is chemical evidence that the bees' structure was found with a special waterproofing substance. He also adds the point that the same kind of waterproof material found in modern bees' structure too. This point contrasts with the reading key point. According to the reading, though the structure looks similar, they lack minute details when compared to the modern bees' nests.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 287, Rule ID: CANT[1]
Message: Did you mean 'can't' or 'cannot'?
Suggestion: can't; cannot
...ago, without that sticky resin the bees cant be preserved. This point contrasts the ...
^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, finally, first, furthermore, however, if, look, may, second, secondly, so, in addition, kind of, such as, on the other hand
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 13.0 10.4613686534 124% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 5.0 5.04856512141 99% => OK
Conjunction : 5.0 7.30242825607 68% => OK
Relative clauses : 17.0 12.0772626932 141% => OK
Pronoun: 24.0 22.412803532 107% => OK
Preposition: 31.0 30.3222958057 102% => OK
Nominalization: 10.0 5.01324503311 199% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1441.0 1373.03311258 105% => OK
No of words: 288.0 270.72406181 106% => OK
Chars per words: 5.00347222222 5.08290768461 98% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.11953428781 4.04702891845 102% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.46684955763 2.5805825403 96% => OK
Unique words: 135.0 145.348785872 93% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.46875 0.540411800872 87% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 418.5 419.366225166 100% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 8.0 3.25607064018 246% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Article: 8.0 8.23620309051 97% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 1.25165562914 80% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.51434878587 0% => OK
Preposition: 5.0 2.5761589404 194% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 15.0 13.0662251656 115% => OK
Sentence length: 19.0 21.2450331126 89% => OK
Sentence length SD: 31.0416208053 49.2860985944 63% => OK
Chars per sentence: 96.0666666667 110.228320801 87% => OK
Words per sentence: 19.2 21.698381199 88% => OK
Discourse Markers: 8.6 7.06452816374 122% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 1.0 4.19205298013 24% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 2.0 4.33554083885 46% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 3.0 4.45695364238 67% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 10.0 4.27373068433 234% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.282688948445 0.272083759551 104% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.104014706298 0.0996497079465 104% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0801379668322 0.0662205650399 121% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.172110303872 0.162205337803 106% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0313318441852 0.0443174109184 71% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 11.7 13.3589403974 88% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 60.65 53.8541721854 113% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.5 11.0289183223 86% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.72 12.2367328918 96% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.76 8.42419426049 92% => OK
difficult_words: 58.0 63.6247240618 91% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 8.0 10.7273730684 75% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.6 10.498013245 91% => OK
text_standard: 8.0 11.2008830022 71% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 73.3333333333 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 22.0 Out of 30
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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.