Anthropology - Exam 1

Front 1

Define Anthropology

Back 1

study of humans, focusing on the similarities and differences biologically and culturally in human populations / study of human kind in all times and places

Front 2

Define Culture

Back 2

A set of learned behaviors and ideas that humans acquire as members of society.

Front 3

Define Holistic

Back 3

Study of all aspects of human life / studies many aspects of a multi-faceted system

Front 4

What are the four major subfields of anthropology?

Back 4

Biological, Cultural, Linguistic Anthropologies and Archaeology

Front 5

What is Biological Anthropology?

Back 5

The subfield of anthropology concerned with the origins of biological variation among modern humans and their ancestors.

Front 6

What is Archaeology?

Back 6

The subfield of anthropology thatstudies culture in past human societies through the analysis of materialremains.

Front 7

What is cultural anthropology?

Back 7

The subfield of anthropology that shows how variation in the beliefs and behaviors of different human groups is shaped by culture.

Front 8

What is linguistic anthropology?

Back 8

The subfield of anthropology concerned with the study of human language.

Front 9

What is applied anthropology?

Back 9

Using anthropological knowledge to solve practical problems.

Front 10

Who is the father of anthropology?

Back 10

Franz Boas

Front 11

What are three things Franz Boas is known for?

Back 11

•Cultural relativism

• Cultural particularism

• Anthropology as a holistic study

Front 12

What are the characteristics of culture?

Back 12

•Learned

•Shared

•Patterned

•Based on symbols

•Dynamic

Front 13

What does culture do?

Back 13

It meets biologically determined needs.

Front 14

Define Adaptation

Back 14

Gradual process by which organisms adjust to the conditions in which they live.

Front 15

Culture is based on what?

Back 15

Symbols

Front 16

Symbols are what in culture?

Back 16

Arbitrary - in order for them to mean anything, it must be universally agreed upon by the society.

Front 17

What is the most important symbolic aspect of culture?

Back 17

Language

Front 18

What are the functions of culture?

Back 18

•Meet basic needs

•Population sustainability

•Enculturate new members

•Maintain order

•Motivate members to survive

•Be able to change

Front 19

Define ethnocentrism

Back 19

The attitude that other societies’ customs and ideas can be judged in the context of one’s own culture

Front 20

Define cultural relativism

Back 20

The attitude that a society’s customs and ideas should be viewed within the context of that society’s problems and opportunities

Front 21

What are the key scientific concepts?

Back 21

1.Assumptions 2.Evidence 3.Hypotheses 4.Testability 5.Theory 6.Objectivity

Front 22

Define ASSUMPTIONS in relation to the key scientific concepts

Back 22

A basic, unquestioned understanding about how the world works.

Front 23

Define EVIDENCE in relation to the key scientific concepts

Back 23

what we see when we examine the world. This can be material and inferred.

Front 24

Define HYPOTHESES in relation to the key scientific concepts

Back 24

predictions about future data based on past observations.

Front 25

Define TESTABILITY in relation to the key scientific concepts

Back 25

the ability to test a hypotheses against nature

Front 26

Define THEORY in relation to the key scientific concepts

Back 26

a coherently organized series of hypotheses used to explain a body of material evidence.

Front 27

Define OBJECTIVITY in relation to the key scientific concepts

Back 27

the separation of observation and reporting from the researcher’s wishes.

Front 28

Define Evolution

Back 28

Change over time, ie: each generation is different than the previous

Front 29

Define essestentialism

Back 29

everything in the material world has a perfect eternal form – an essence. The world is unchanging in this view.

Front 30

Who is responsible for the idea of essestentialism

Back 30

Plato

Front 31

What is the Great Chain of Being

Back 31

the idea that all life can be arranged in a linefrom primitive to the most advanced with God at the top. This also views the world as unchanging.

Front 32

Who is Carl von Linee

Back 32

He is the father of taxonomy ie: binomial nomenclature

Front 33

What is binomial nomenclature

Back 33

the system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organism, the first one indicating the genus and the second the specific epithet.

Front 34

What is catastrophism? And who is responsible for this idea?

Back 34

1. fossils could be explained by aseries of catastrophic events. 2. Georges Cuvier

Front 35

Define Uniformitarianism

Back 35

the same processes exist today that existed in the past and can be used to understand the history of the earth.

Front 36

Who is responsible for the idea of Uniformitarianism?

Back 36

Charles Lyell

Front 37

What is the biggest difference between Uniformitarianism and Catastrophism?

Back 37

There are no sharp breaks with uniformitarianism like there is with catastrophism.

Front 38

What is transformational evolution and who is responsible for this idea?

Back 38

1. through use and disuse, organisms transform themselves to their environment and pass those changes on to the next generation. 2. Jean - Baptiste Lamarck

Front 39

Who is Thomas Malthus?

Back 39

An economist who came up with the idea that "Population growth will alwaysoutpace the food supply. In everygeneration, more organisms are born than can survive."

Front 40

Who is Charles Darwin?

Back 40

Charles Darwin came up with the idea of natural selection.

Front 41

What are the three concepts of Charles Darwin's view of evolution?

Back 41

Variation, Heredity, and Natural Selection

Front 42

Describe Natural Selection

Back 42

Those variants within a population that are more successful tend to have more offspring.

Front 43

What did Gregor Mendel discover?

Back 43

Mendel discovered that single particles (genes) inherited from parents were responsible for traits. Some are dominant and some are recessive.

Front 44

What are genes?

Back 44

Single particles inherited from parents that are responsible for traits.

Front 45

What is an allele?

Back 45

Different forms a gene may take

Front 46

Alleles can be:

Back 46

Homozygous

Heterozygous

Dominant

Recessive

Front 47

What is the principle of separation?

Back 47

an individual gets one allele from each parent.

Front 48

What is the principle of independent assortment?

Back 48

each pair of genes separates independently of all others.

Front 49

What are the four evolutionary processes?

Back 49

Natural Selection, Mutation, Genetic Drift, and Gene Flow

Front 50

Define Population Genetics

Back 50

examines how the evolutionary processes lead tochanges in gene frequency

Front 51

______ evolves not individuals

Back 51

Populations.

Front 52

What is the genotype and phenotype of heterozygous traits?

Back 52

•Genotype= one dominant and one recessive allele

•Phenotype= dominant trait expressed

Front 53

What is the genotype and phenotype of homozygous traits?

Back 53

•Genotype= either two dominant or two recessive alleles

•Phenotype= if dominant , dominant trait is expressed; if recessive, recessive trait expressed.

Front 54

Define mutation in relation to genes

Back 54

the creation of a new variant of a gene (allele) when a portion of a DNA moleculeis altered

Front 55

What are the two parts of natural selection?

Back 55

Two parts:

1.more are born than can survive.

2.best suited have more surviving offspring.

Front 56

What is the advantage for heterozygotes in the sickle-cell trait?

Back 56

Those with the sickle-cell trait need to be homozygous for the trait. The advantage that heterozygotes with this face is that if they have the trait, it won't manifest as they're just a carrier.

Front 57

Describe Genetic Drift

Back 57

•the randomloss of genes from a gene pool•Increases difference between populations

Front 58

Describe Gene Flow

Back 58

•the exchange of genes between populations•Populations look more similar

Front 59

Describe Clinal Variation

Back 59

a gradual change in a feature across a geographic region

Front 60

What is Allen's rule (in regards to clinal variation)

Back 60

Tall bodies with long limbs in warm climates

Front 61

What is Bergmann's rule (in regards to clinal variation)

Back 61

Wide bodies with short limbs in cold climates

Front 62

What is the difference between adaptation and acclimation?

Back 62

•Adaptation– shaping of useful traits through natural selection.

•Acclimatization– adjustments to new environments during one’s lifetime.

Front 63

Define race

Back 63

A classification below the species level for a population distinguished as a distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.

Front 64

Define plasticity

Back 64

the ability of the phenotype to change in new environments.

Front 65

Define cline

Back 65

•a gradual change in a feature – or frequency of a gene – across a geographic region.

Front 66

Define racism

Back 66

•the belief, without scientific basis,that some “races” are inferior to others

Front 67

Race is a _________ based on ________, not a _______________.

Back 67

social construction based on these adaptations, not a biological reality

Front 68

Who are primatologists?

Back 68

Scientists who focus on biology, behavior, andevolutionary history of primates

Front 69

Why do we study primates?

Back 69

They are the closest relatives to humans

Front 70

What are the characteristics of mammals?

Back 70

Live young (most species)

Mammary glands

Increased period of infant dependency Specialized teeth

Warm Blooded

Front 71

When did mammals first appear?

Back 71

200 MYA

Front 72

What does aboreal mean?

Back 72

Refers to animals that spend the majority of their lifespan in trees.

Front 73

What are the traits that favor an aboreal lifestyle?

Back 73

•Small size

•Varied diet

•Distance judgment

•Ability to grip

Front 74

List the Primate Characteristics

Back 74

•Unspecialized teeth

•Sight (stereoscopic vision)

•Tactile sense

•Intelligence

•Grasping hands and feet with opposablethumbs and toes

•Generalized limbs

•Parental investment

•Social nature

Front 75

Describe Binocular Vision

Back 75

•Eyes sit next to each other on the sameplane•Visual fields overlap

Front 76

Describe stereoscopic vision

Back 76

•3D

•Nerves run from each eye to both sides of the brain

Front 77

What does the neocortex control in the brain?

Back 77

•Conscious thought

•Sensory perception

Front 78

What does the term 'opposable thumbs/toes' refer to?

Back 78

Ability to touch other digits on the same hand or foot

Front 79

What are the five natural groups of primate classification?

Back 79

1.Lemurs and lorises

2.Tarsiers

3.NewWorld monkeys

4.OldWorld monkeys

5.Apes and humans

Front 80

What does 'prosimians' mean and what does it include?

Back 80

Prosimian means 'before monkeys' and includes lorises, lemurs, and tarsiers.

Front 81

Who has the smaller brain - prosimians or monkeys?

Back 81

Prosimians have the smaller brain

Front 82

What are some traits of prosimians?

Back 82

•Quadrupedal

•More nocturnal adaptations like Acute sense of smell, Big eyes; Big, mobile ears

•Dental comb

•Grooming claw

Front 83

What's unique about lemurs?

Back 83

- Female Dominance

- Only in Madagascar

- Fill a lot of mammal niches because they have flexible diets and locomotion

Front 84

What is unique about tarsiers?

Back 84

They pair bond and their classification is problematic

Front 85

What is included in the classification of anthropoids?

Back 85

•New World monkeys•Old World monkeys•Apes and humans

Front 86

Describe some traits of monkeys and apes

Back 86

•Mostly diurnal •Reduced sense of smell•Excellent color vision•Larger brains than prosimians•Improved hand-eye coordination•Longer period of infant dependency

Front 87

Define diurnal

Back 87

Active during the day rather than at night (IE: nocturnal)

Front 88

Describe new world monkeys

Back 88

•Tropical forests of Central and South America

•Some have prehensile tails

•Arboreal

Front 89

Describe old world monkeys

Back 89

•NONE have prehensile tails

•Some arboreal, some terrestrial

•Quadrupedal locomotion

•Narrow bodies with hind limbs and forelimbs of equal length

•Africa, Asia

Front 90

What is a prehensile tail?

Back 90

The long tail with the curved end that enables monkeys to hang from tree limbs and such.

Front 91

Describe smaller/lesser apes

Back 91

•Gibbons and siamangs•Southeast Asia•Brachiation•Pair bonding

Front 92

Describe great apes

Back 92

•Africa

- Chimpanzees, Gorillas

•Asia

-Orangutans

•Closest relatives

Front 93

Describe some differences between monkeys and apes

Back 93

Tails - apes have none, monkeys do

Brains - apes have larger brains than monkeys

Young - ape young are dependent longer than monkey young

Apes have increased shoulder and joint mobility

Front 94

Parental investment enables what?

Back 94

It enables the ability to cultivate more of a society/culture as the young are present longer and are more dependent upon their parents to teach them how to survive.

Front 95

How do primates communicate?

Back 95

Through visual and vocal communication

Front 96

Give some examples of tool use by chimpanzees

Back 96

•Termite sticks•Leaves as sponges•Stones as hammers•Anvils for nut cracking

Front 97

What are the key differences between macroevolution and microevolution?

Back 97

Macroevolution is speciation in the long term

Front 98

Define Microevolution

Back 98

•Changes in allele frequencies over the short term

Front 99

Define Macroevolution

Back 99

•Focus is on new species formation and on the evolutionary relationships between species.

Front 100

What are the three families of homonoids?

Back 100

1. hylobatids (lesser apes)

2.pongids(great apes)

3.hominins (modern humans and theirancestors)

Front 101

What are hominins?

Back 101

•Modern humans, extinct humans, and their ancestors

Front 102

What is the major defining characteristic of hominins?

Back 102

Bipedalism

Front 103

Define Phyletic Gradualism

Back 103

Phyletic gradualism is a model of evolution which theorizes that most speciation is slow, uniform and gradual. When evolution occurs in this mode, it is usually by the steady transformation of a whole species into a new one. (FOCUSES ON THE LONG TERM)

Front 104

Define Speciation

Back 104

the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.

Front 105

Define Punctuated Equilibrium

Back 105

the hypothesis that evolutionary development is marked by isolated episodes of rapid speciation between long periods of little or no change.

Front 106

What are fossils?

Back 106

•hardened remains of organic material(animal bones, plants) that have been petrified over time

Front 107

What is morphology?

Back 107

•study of the form and structure of organisms, and how those structures relate to one another

Front 108

Whats the difference between "splitters" and "lumpers"

Back 108

Splitters assume relatively little individual variation within species and Lumpers assume a lot of individual variation within a species.

Front 109

What are the four major trends in hominin evolution?

Back 109

•Bipedalism (walking on two legs)

•Changes in teeth and jaws

•Increase in brain size (cranial capacity)•Improved tool-making /language

Front 110

What is the skeletal evidence for bipedalism? (you don't need to name them all, at least 3)

Back 110

•Foramen magnum centered under skull

•Changes in the spinal column maintain the body in an upright posture

•Bowl-shaped pelvis

•Robust heels to withstand force

•Arches in feet to absorb force

•Parallel toes

Front 111

What are the advantageous for bipedalism?

Back 111

•More energy efficient

•Easier to spot predators

•Able to exploit more resources with free hands •Carrying food, tool making

•Regulating body temperature

Front 112

What is prognathism and why is it important?

Back 112

Prognathism is when a feature is pushed out or forward. It's important because modern humans have decreased facial prognathism in comparison to early relatives.

Front 113

What is cranial capacity mean?

Back 113

Cranial capacity is measured as the volume of the skull.

Front 114

What is the cranial capacity in chimps vs in humans?

Back 114

•Cranial capacity averages 395 cc inchimps, 1325 cc in modern humans

Front 115

What is the earliest hominin candidate?

Back 115

Ardipithecus ramidus

Front 116

What are the traits for ardipithecus ramidus

Back 116

•5.8– 4.4 million years

•Apelikedentition

•Arms,feet, foramen magnum suggests bipedal

Front 117

What are the traits for australopithecines

Back 117

•4.2-1.1 mya

•Eastern and southern Africa

•Sexualdimorphism

•Bipedal

•Hominin-like teeth

•Mix of human-like and ape-like features

Front 118

What is the difference between australopithecine afarensis and africanus?

Back 118

Afarensis (Lucy) is in Hadar and Ethiopia and Africanus is in South Africa

Front 119

What are the traits of A. Afarensis?

Back 119

•Hadar, Ethiopia

•Discovered in 1978

•4.0 – 3.0 mya

•Clearly bipedal

•Small brain size, 440 cc

•Facial prognathism

•Sexually dimorphic canines

•Curved digits

Front 120

What is Lucy?

Back 120

A. Afarensis

Front 121

What is the skeletal evidence that Lucy was bipedal?

Back 121

Angled Femur and Basin Shaped Pelvis

Front 122

What evidence is there that Lucy was arboreal/quadrupedal

Back 122

Long Arms and Curved Fingers/Toes

Front 123

Why are the footprints found in Laetoli, Tanzania important?

Back 123

They are preserved footprints from 3.8mya of the Australopithecines and shows evidence of pronounced heel strikes, curved arches, and parallel big toes (basically bipedalism)

Front 124

What are the traits of A. Africanus?

Back 124

•3-2 mya

•Cranial capacity: 420-490 cc

•Bipedal, but limb proportions ape-like

•Broad incisors, small canines (likemodern humans)

•Larger molars than A. afarensis

•Less prognathism than Lucy

Front 125

What are the traits of A. Boisei?

Back 125

•Range: East Africa

•2.3-1.3 mya

•Cranial capacity: 480 cc

•Small canines and incisors

•Very large molars

•Less prognathism than other Australopiths•Sagittalcrest

Front 126

What is a sagittal crest?

Back 126

bony ridge on the top of the skull to which the jaw muscles are attached.

Front 127

What are the australopithecine trends?

Back 127

•Gracile androbust forms

•Mix of human-like and ape-like features•Robust forms had a specialized diet

•Gracile forms ate a more generalized diet

Front 128

What are the traits for the gracile form of Australopithecines?

Back 128

•“delicate” chewing apparatus

•Diet: generalized•more meat than robust

Front 129

What are the traits for the robust form of Australopithecines?

Back 129

•“robust” chewing apparatus (Large back teeth,

Well-developed muscles and bonesassociated with chewing, Sagittal crest)

•Eastern and southern Africa

•Extinct by 1 mya

•Diet: specialized (high vegetable matter)

Front 130

What are the traits of homo habilis?

Back 130

•Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania); Lake Turkana,Kenya •2.3-1.7 mya•“Handy Man”

•Cranial capacity: 640 cc

•Reduced molar teeth

•Human toes, arches

•Oldowan tools

Front 131

What is important about oldowan tools and who are they closely linked to?

Back 131

Oldowan tools are the first recognizable tools and were used by homo habilis.

Front 132

What are the traits for homo erectus?

Back 132

•Range: Widespread! (Africa, Asia)

•First hominin known to migrate out ofAfrica•1.7 mya-300 kya

•Cranial capacity: 895-1040 cc

•Further reduction in teeth, jaw size

Front 133

What are some skeletal characteristics of homo erectus?

Back 133

•Heavy brow ridge

•Visible nose bridge

•Sagittal keel

•Longer legs

Front 134

Who is linked to the first controlled use of fire?

Back 134

Homo Erectus

Front 135

What are some traits of homo neanderthalenses?

Back 135

•Range: Widespread in Europe and SW Asia •300 kya– 30 kya

•Cranial capacity: 1450 - >1520 cc

•Larger than modern humans!

•Low, elongated skull with occipital bun•Pronounced brow ridge•No chin

Front 136

What were neadertals adapted for and how?

Back 136

The cold.

•Short, solid stature•Males 5’6’’•Females 5’2’’•Short limbs

•Extremely robust bones, barrel-chested

Front 137

What kind of tools were the neadertals known for?

Back 137

Stone tools, mousterian tool tradition

•Blades struck off a prepared central core

•Tool specialization

Front 138

When were the Neadertals around?

Back 138

Middle Paleolithic Age (middle stone age)

Front 139

What are the traits of homo sapiens?

Back 139

•Earliest evidence: Ethiopia, South Africa

•200 kya? topresent

•Australia: 50 kya

•Americas: 20-14 kya

•Cranial capacity: 1350 cc

Front 140

What are some skeletal characteristics of homo sapiens?

Back 140

•High forehead

•Domed cranium

•Flat face

•Definite chin

Front 141

What are homo sapiens known for?

Back 141

Cave art (Representational artwork)

Complex burials

Complex tools (Upper Paleolithic)

Front 142

What is the lower paleolithic age?

Back 142

1.6 MYA - 300 KYA

•Time period associated with Oldowan and Acheulian stone tool traditions

•Term also used to refer to H. erectus’ entire culture

Front 143

What is the middle paleolithic age?

Back 143

•(300,000-40,000 ya)

•Time period associated with Mousterian stone tool tradition

Front 144

What is the upper paleolithic age?

Back 144

•(40,000-10,000 ya)

•Tools found in this time period had rootsin both Mousterian and post-Acheulian stone traditions

Front 145

What is significant about the transition between H. Erectus to H. Sapien?

Back 145

Most scientists agree that the transition occured but aren't sure exactly where. There are fossils that have a mix of both features in which many argue should be called Homo Heidelbergensis.

Front 146

How does H. Heidelbergensis differ from H. Erectus?

Back 146

•smaller teeth and jaws

•Larger brain (1300 cc)

•No sagittal keel or occipital torus

•Brow ridge divides into 2 separate arches above each eye

•More robust skeleton

Front 147

How does H. Heidelbergensis differ from H. Sapien?

Back 147

•Retains a large, prognathic face with relatively large teeth and jaws

•Pronounced brow ridge

•Long, low cranial vault

•Sloping forehead

•More robust skeleton

Front 148

What is the La Chapelle-aux-Saints?

Back 148

One of the chief sources for a biased perspective of Neandertals.

Front 149

Why is the La Chapelle-aux-Saints biased?

Back 149

- Almost Complete Skeleton in Shallow Grave

- Marcellin Boule published description that became generalized: bent-over, not fully erect

- Boule misconstrued spinal osteoarthritis for normal posture b/c the individual was old and degenerative + doesn't represent the entire population

Front 150

How are Neandertals seen?

Back 150

Brute and Sluggish

Front 151

Give examples of the Neadertals symbolic behavior

Back 151

•Evidence from burials shows that Neandertals accommodated the sick and injured in life and treated the dead with honor and ritual

•La Chapelle, Shanidar, and Tabun skeletons all came from graves

•Grave goods sometimes included

Front 152

Where does the strongest evidence for Anatomically Modern H. Sapiens come from?

Back 152

•from Africa (Herto, Ethiopia and KlasiesRiver Mouth cave)

Front 153

What is the single origin hypothesis?

Back 153

All humans have an originating common ancestor (originating in Africa) and then spread out replacing all other hominids without significant interbreeding.

- Typically supported with evidence found outside Africa

Front 154

What is the multi-regional hypothesis?

Back 154

Suggests that H. erectus populations gradually evolved into modernhumans, Continuity in skeletal features ismain evidence used to support this hypothesis

Front 155

What is the most widely supported hypothesis for the origin of H. Sapien?

Back 155

The Assimilation Hypothesis

Front 156

What is the assimilation hypothesis?

Back 156

This suggests that while there may have been some replacement, interbreeding between modern humans leaving Africa and populations already present in Europe and Asia also contributed to emergence of modern humans

Front 157

What provides the strongest support for the assimilation hypothesis?

Back 157

Genetic Data

- Modern human nuclear DNA contains 1-6% of Neandertal and Denisovannuclear DNA•Some of that DNA provided important benefits to modern humans

Front 158

What is the Woman of Willendorf?

Back 158

an 11.1-centimetre (4.4 in) high statuette of a female figure estimated to have been made between about 28,000 and 25,000 BCE and to have been made by early H. Sapiens

Front 159

What is the Lascaux cave art?

Back 159

Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. They contain some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art (early H. Sapiens)

Front 160

Define Sexual Dimorphism

Back 160

distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of a species

Front 161

What is the occipital bun?

Back 161

a prominent bulge or projection of the occipital bone at the back of the skull. It is important in scientific descriptions of classic Neandertal skulls

Front 162

How do Archaeologists investigate the past?

Back 162

Through material culture

Front 163

What are some 3 types of material culture?

Back 163

1.Features 2.Artifacts 3.Ecofacts

Front 164

Define features in reference to material culture

Back 164

Non-Portable Material Culture (ie: caves, mud houses, etc)

Front 165

Define artifacts in reference to material culture

Back 165

Items deliberately shaped by human activity (tools, sculptures, etc)

Front 166

Define ecofacts in reference to material culture

Back 166

Plant and animal remains that are by-products of human activity

Front 167

What are the three key concepts to archeological methods?

Back 167

1.Survey

2.Excavation

3.Analysis & Interpretation

Front 168

What is a survey in regards to archeological methods?

Back 168

Systematically looking for material culture in a geographic location

Front 169

As part of a survey, archeologist sometimes use remote sensing which is _________

Back 169

– detecting physical objects in the soil without excavation

Front 170

What is excavation?

Back 170

Removing soil deposits and other material to uncover archaeological remains. Context is essential.

Front 171

What is stratigraphy?

Back 171

A form of relative dating that uses how rock or soil layers are laid down in successive layers, or strata.

Front 172

What is the law of superposition?

Back 172

lower layers of soil were deposited first and are therefore older

Front 173

What is seriation?

Back 173

a method of relative dating based on the assumption that artifacts that look alike date to the same time.

Front 174

What is dendrochronology?

Back 174

a method of absolute dating based on the analysis and observation of tree growth rings.

Front 175

What is isotopic dating?

Back 175

an absolute dating method based on the known decay rate of radioactive isotopes.

Front 176

What is radiocarbon dating?

Back 176

An absolute dating method to determine the age or date of organic matter from the relative proportions of the carbon isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-14 that it contains. The ratio between them changes as radioactive carbon-14 decays and is not replaced by exchange with the atmosphere.

Front 177

What is potassium-argon dating?

Back 177

a absolute dating method of dating rocks from the relative proportions of radioactive potassium-40 and its decay product, argon-40.

Front 178

What is absolute dating?

Back 178

the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology.

Front 179

What is relative dating?

Back 179

the science of determining the relative order of past events (i.e., the age of an object in comparison to another), without necessarily determining their absolute age