Science of bones and fossils Flashcards
(17 cards)
During which epoch did we see the earliest primates develop and the which epoch did they evolve?
Pleistocene and evolved in Holocene.
How many years ago did humans fully evolve roughly?
11.8 - 11.6 Kya.
When was the earliest homo sapiens evolved?
300 Kya.
Role of someone in the field of palaeoanthropology?
Study of fossil evidence to understand earliest humans.
Physical and cultural evolution, migration.
Significant footprints from history?
Trachilos, Laetoli and eve footprints.
How are fossilised humans mostly found?
Accidents, Target research projects, Geological projects, quarries and caves.
What is stratigraphy?
The idea that the soil is in layers, with contents of lower layers getting increasingly older.
What is the law of superposition
A sequence that has accumulated through time - only sequence of deposition, not timing.
Absolute dating techniques?
Radiometric dating
Radiocarbon dating
Potassium-argon dating
Uranium-lead dating
Relative dating techniques?
Stratigraphy
Artefacts/Eco facts
Wood of coffins
Luminescence of soil
Document/burial records/grave stones
What is issues radiocarbon dating?
Carbon levels returning to same level they were before the war so you wont be able to distinguish a difference.
Only useful up to 55kya-60kya
Limits of anthropology
Fossils records - limited, inference, no teeth of soft tissue
Biological anth - up to interpretation
Forensic anth - no stories
How could you describe thee scenario of skeletal changes to ill/stress.
1 - Limited stress - healthy - No changes to bones
2 - Severe stress - good immunity - chronic ill - Skeletal changes
3 - Severe stress - poor immunity - fast death - no skeletal changes as no time to change
Where do we often find remains of human?
Religious buildings
Plague pits
Prehistoric Burial grounds
Criminal burials
Trachilos footprints
Crete
5.7 Mya
Miocene hominin
Laetoli Footprints
Tanzania
Afarensis
3.6 mya
Eves footprints
South Africa
homos sapiens
117kya
