TPO 45 Integrated Writing Task

The writer presents reasons why skeptics doubt that the old fossil structures found in Arizona were created by bees. The speaker, on the other hand, prefers to believe that it is possible those fossilized structures were made by bees.

First, while the professor agrees with the statement that no 200-million-year-old fossil remains of actual bees have been discovered, she also notes that this might be due to the lack of proper preservatives at the time. Fossils of bees are usually kept in tree resin, but resin-producing trees were rare around 200 million years ago and did not become more prevalent until later. This doesn't contrast the possibility of bees existing a long time ago without being preserved in nature.

Second, it is true bees and flowering plants have developed a close symbiotic relationship. However, bees might have possibly existed before the first flowering plants appeared on Earth. The early bees could have fed on non-flowering plants, such as ferns and pine trees, and started to change after flowering plants made an appearance. It is likely that their close association with each other was formed and remained stable ever since.

Third, the writer mentions that the fossilized structures lack spiral caps that are present in modern bee nests. The lecturer argues by emphasizing on some chemical evidence found on fossilized remains. There is a special water-proof material on the surface of the fossil chambers that is proved to be the same proofing substance as on modern bee nests. Thus, it is possible these fossilized structures were made by bees and not other insects as claimed in the passage.