Origins

We all know that the word "origin" means:

• the beginning
• starting point
• cause

from which a thing is derived or generated. 

Just like in biology, the origin of some certain species are the places where they came from. here are some examples of plants and animals, and where they originated.

Koala
-is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae.
-found in coastal regions of eastern and southern Australia, from Adelaide to the southern part of Cape York Peninsula.
-broadly similar to a wombat, but has a thicker coat, larger ears, and longer limbs. They also have large and sharp claws.

Cactus
-is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and hot environment. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent.
-originated from deserts in Mexico.

Maple
-approximately 129 species, most of which are native to Asia, with also a number appearing in Europe, Northern Africa, and America.
-most maple trees are growing to 10.45 meters (30-145ft.) in height. others are shrubs less than 10 meters tall with a number of small trunks originating at ground level.
-distinguished by opposite leaf arrangement.

Pine Trees
-pines are native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. In Eurasia, they range from the Canary Islands, Ibarin Peninsula, and Scotland east to the Russian Far East, and in the Philippines.
-evergreen, resinous trees growing 3.80m tall. The barks are thick and scaly, but some have thin, flaking bark. Pines can live up to 100-1000 years old.

Tasmanian Devil
-a carnivorous marsupial now found in the wild only in Australia.
-size of a small dog, with stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odor, loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding.

Kangaroo
-kangaroos are the only animals to use hopping as their locomotion. The average lifespan of kangaroos averages at 6 years in the wild to in excess of 20 years in captivity, varying by species.
-a marsupial from the family Macropodidae. Kangaroos are endemic to the country of Australia. The smaller macropods are found in Australia and New Guinea.

Seal
-seals are well-designed to swim in water. Their bodies are very streamlined and their flippers propel them quickly to the water.
- a seal's respiratory system is adapted for water. A seal can go for 40 minutes without breathing.

Walrus
-is a large-flippered mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and Sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere.
-can be easily recognized by its prominent tusks, whiskers, and great bulk. It is a relatively long-lived, social animal and is considered a keystone species in Arctic marine ecosystems.

Rafflesia

-a genus of parasitic flowering plants, which contains 28 species, all found in Southeastern Asia, on the Malay Peninsula, Bornero, Sumatra, and Philippines.

-the plant has no stems, leaves, or roots. The five-petaled flower may be over 100 centimeters in diameter, and weighs up to 10 kilograms. The flower looks and smells like rotten flesh.

Zebra

-are African equids best known for their black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individuals.

-they occur in a variety of habitats, such as grasslands, savannahs, woodlands, mountains, and coastal hills.

It is really important to learn about animals' origins because if an animal is near to extinction (endangered), it might affect the food chain. For example, when a zebra would become extinct, those carnivorous or omnivorous animals who feed on zebras will have their population reduced, until the time will come when those carnivores/omnivores will be extinct too. This shows that the transfer of energy will be affected if an animal becomes extinct.


-Angelo Ramos, II-Edison