Which absolute dating method would be most appropriate for establishing the age of a volcanic ash layer from an early hominid site in eastern Africa?
A. Principle of faunal succession
B. Radiocarbon Dating
C. Potassium - Argon Dating
D. Dendrochronology
Answer is B. Radiocarbon Dating
Rationale: Chronometric dating method for organic materials, based on decay rate of 14C (Carbon 14)
a) Useful for 500ybp -50,000 ybp
b) Charcoal is best choice (almost completely carbon)
c) Burned or unburned bone second best choice (collagen contains a lot of carbon)
d) The less carbon a thing contains, the more of it has to be destroyed to use this method
(1) All living plants and animals absorb same amount of 14C in their bodies (from atmosphere, food). An organism's intake of 14C stops when it dies. From then on, the carbon begins to radioactively decay into nitrogen
(2) Radioactive decay occurs at a known rate, so measuring the amount of 14C remaining in an organism reveals how long it has been dead
(3) Must be careful to avoid contamination of fossils!
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A) AB + CD ? BA + DC B) AB + CD ? AD + BC C) A + B ? AB D) AB ? A + B
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A) the heart. B) a superficial artery. C) a superficial vein. D) a capillary. E) an arteriole.
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A. 0.5% B. 1% C. 1.5% D. 2%