Below are two scenarios describing real dating methods that…

Below are two scenarios describing real dating methods that we didn’t discuss in class. Apply your knowledge from lecture and your readings to identify each scenario as either absolute or relative dating. Scenario #1: The earth’s magnetic polarity hasn’t always been North; prior to about 780 kya the magnetic pole was South (your compass would have pointed South instead of North). You observe that a recent fossil find is located above a layer with reversed polarity and therefore conclude that it must be younger than 780 kya. What type of dating is described in this example? [relative]   Scenario #2: When 238Uranium decays it releases fragments that actually scratch the internal surface of some types of rocks. Knowing the half-life of 238U, you count the scratches in the rock to estimate how much 238U was left in the rock and estimate the age of your strata as 200 kya.  What type of dating is described in this example? [absolute]

Bonus question worth up to 4 extra credit points.  In about…

Bonus question worth up to 4 extra credit points.  In about 3-5 sentences explain how environment plays a role in the evolution of hominins and/or hominin behavior. Provide an example from lectures, readings, or films that exemplifies how environment has lead to evolutionary and/or behavioral adaptations. Be sure to provide names, dates, and locations of the hominins you discuss.   Written responses must be in your own words (do not copy and paste from readings, lectures, or online sources)

Dr. Habiba Chirchir studies the shape of the spongy bone ins…

Dr. Habiba Chirchir studies the shape of the spongy bone inside long bones (like the humerus and femur) using computed tomography – a very sensitive scanner that can reconstruct the inner bone. She is specifically interested in hominin remains from around Koobi Fora, Kenya that date to about 1 -2 million years old, so she can reconstruct how our ancient relatives walked and moved across the landscape. She is pictured here holding a cast of a famous Australopithecine fossil named Lucy.  To which subdiscipline of bioarchaeology does Dr. Chirchir belong?