Question 1

Which dating method can provide dates ranging from a few thousand to a million years ago, measures the number of electrons trapped within a sample, and may prove most helpful in dating specimens of bone and teeth?

Accepted Answer

Electron-spin resonance is used to date materials like bone and teeth by measuring trapped electrons, suitable for a range from a few thousand to a million years.

Question 2

Chris Stringer states that, thanks to the development of a microscopic technique called "laser ablation," it is now possible to use which of the following dating techniques to directly date a tiny area of fossil tooth enamel?

Accepted Answer

Laser ablation allows for precise sampling of small areas, which is compatible with electron-spin resonance dating, a technique used to date tooth enamel.

Question 3

Paleomagnetism is valuable because it is the only dating method that

Accepted Answer

Paleomagnetism is valuable because it allows scientists to relate geological, climatological, and evolutionary events on a global scale by studying the magnetic properties of rocks and sediments, which record the Earth's magnetic field reversals over time.

Question 4

The molecular clock is based on the assumption that

Accepted Answer

The molecular clock hypothesis assumes that genetic mutations accumulate at a relatively constant rate over time, allowing scientists to estimate the time of divergence between species.

Question 5

Sometimes old rocks are affected by other geological features, as when molten lava forces its way through fractures in several layers on its way to the surface. The assumption that the intruding features must be younger than the layers of rock on which they intrude is called the law of

Accepted Answer

The law of cross-cutting relationships states that any geological feature that cuts across another is younger than the feature it cuts through.

Question 6

What role was played by fossils of the one-toed horse when paleoanthropologists tried to assign firm dates to hominid-fossil-bearing layers at the eastern African site of Koobi Fora?

Accepted Answer

The discrepancy between the one-toed horse fossil dates and the potassium-argon date led paleoanthropologists to reexamine the potassium-argon date for Koobi Fora.

Question 7

Cleaning routines such as ultrafiltration and acid-base-wet oxidation (ABOX) can effectively remove contamination that could yield inaccurate dates produced by which of the following methods?

Accepted Answer

Radiocarbon dating is susceptible to contamination from modern carbon, which can skew the results. Cleaning routines like ultrafiltration and ABOX are used to remove such contaminants to ensure accurate dating.

Question 8

Which dating method provides dates between 40,000 and 100,000-300,000 years ago, and enables us to determine the date when ancient pottery fragments were last fired, or when burnt-flint artifacts last were heated?

Accepted Answer

Thermoluminescence dating is used to date materials such as ceramics or burnt flint by measuring the light emitted from the mineral when it is heated, which can provide dates in the range of 40,000 to 100,000-300,000 years ago.

Question 9

Which of the following is a criticism of the molecular clock as a dating technique?

Accepted Answer

The molecular clock's accuracy relies on the calibration with other dating methods, which can introduce errors if those methods are inaccurate.

Question 10

Describe the difference between relative dating methods and numerical dating methods. What are examples of each? How do paleoanthropologists and archaeologists use these different approaches?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the difference between relative dating methods...

Question 11

Explain the concepts of stratigraphic superposition and the law of crosscutting relationships. When would you use each of these approaches? What would you learn from each of these methods?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the concepts of stratigraphic superposition and...

Question 12

Compare and contrast the isotopic methods of dating and nonisotopic methods of dating discussed in the text. Using an example of each from text, describe how you would use each method to understand an aspect of human history.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the isotopic methods of...

Question 13

Analyze the usefulness of climatic data to paleontologists. Describe examples of how climatic data provide data for answering questions about human history.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Analyze the usefulness of climatic data to...

Quiz 3: What Can the Study of Primates Tell Us About Human Beings