Exam 4: Doing Archaeology and Biological Anthropology

Systematic survey refers to the archaeological technique of systematically digging through the cultural and natural stratigraphy of an archaeological site.

Using a novel method of scanning neural activity in people playing games, scientists have discovered that cooperation triggers pleasure centers in the brain. This research suggests that

All of the following are true about the work of paleoanthropologists EXCEPT that they

Systematic survey and excavation

How are fossils formed? Where are they found? How representative is the fossil record?

The American Anthropological Association's Code of Ethics is applicable only to research being conducted in the United States.

The most reliable evidence in studying the past is that which is visible to the naked eye. Anything microscopic is too small to be considered reliable.

Dendrochronology is an absolute dating method based on the comparison of tree-ring growth patterns and is also useful

Taphonomy is the science that examines the ways in which sediments accumulate in layers.

Under what conditions are fossils most likely to form?

What is molecular dating? What is the basic assumption upon which this technique is based? Can you think of other potential applications of this technique beyond those mentioned in the text?

The legal and scientific debates that arose after the discovery in 1996 of a skeleton dubbed Kennewick Man illustrates all of the following EXCEPT

NAGPRA dictates the ownership of physical and archaeological remains, and sometimes places anthropologists and indigenous peoples at odds with one another.

In what ways are physical anthropology and archaeology multidisciplinary? Why is this important to know?

Palynology is the study of ancient animals through fossil remains.

Experimental archaeologists try to replicate ancient techniques under controlled conditions.

The so-called Piltdown Man was once considered an unusual and perplexing human ancestor, but it turned out to be the jaw of a young orangutan attached to a Homo sapiens skull. What dating technique exposed the Piltdown fraud?

Informed consent refers to people's agreement to take part in research after they have been fully informed about its purpose, nature, funding, procedures, and potential impact on them.

Physical anthropology and archaeology both involve multidisciplinary approaches to research.

Electron spin resonance is used to date organic material from archaeological sites.