ANTH 101 Study Guide - Final Guide: Paleoanthropology, Relative Dating, Taphonomy
Document Summary
Taphonomy is the study of what happens to bones after death until discovery, including biological and geological processes. Context is where the fossils are found, including the provenience-the location of the fossil. Discuss the best conditions for fossilization to occur. <1. fossilization is so rare because most remains decompose quickly, and many individually rare events must all occur to create fossils. Even more, events must occur for them to be found. Reconstruction of the past is complex and ever-changing as discoveries are made. Be familiar with the methods and examples discussed in class. Relative dating determines fossil age by comparing it to other materials found above and below. Chronometric dating provides an estimated period of a fossil in actual years through more precise methods than relative dating. Relative dating includes stratigraphy (looking at the sediment layers) and chemical processes. Chronometric dating techniques include tree rings and radioactive decay using radiocarbon and potassium- argon.
