The __________, also referred to as “the Ancient One” is the nearly complete skeleton of a person who died approximately 9,000 years ago near the Columbia River in Kennewick, Washington. When his remains were found in 1996, he became a test case for the recently passed NAGPRA.Group of answer choicesConnecticut ManKennewick ManConstitutional ManKetchikan Man

Scientists [have] announced the discovery of a never-before-seen human relative, now known as Homo naledi, in a South African cave. The site yielded more than 1,500 bone fragments. That rich fossil cache revealed much about the creatures, yet it left one glaring question unanswered: when did Homo naledi live? The scientists had no evidence for how old the fossils were. Without that information, it was very hard to know where the new species fits on the tangled human family tree, and to figure out its true meaning.Over time, anthropology’s situation has improved greatly with the introduction of new techniques like the measurement of radioactive isotopes that decay predictably over time. Radiocarbon dating can measure the age of the bones themselves. Other techniques, such as potassium-argon dating, can derive the age of surrounding volcanic rock. But even those methods are often limited. Radiocarbon dating works only on fossils 50,000 years or younger, not helpful for most of the 7 million years or so of human evolution. Potassium-argon dating can be applied to much older fossils, but it is useless where there are no volcanic rocks……Within the dark chamber where naledi was found, there were no convenient volcanic rocks. The lack of age information is especially confounding because Homo naledi contains such an odd mixture of morphologies. Some of the fossils’ traits look very modern, for example their human-like hands and feet; others look remarkably ancient, for instance their primitive shoulders and hips. The evolutionary implications of naledi would look entirely different if the fossils were 2 million versus 20,000 years old - and either is possible. A creature with a modern, delicate hand resembling those of modern humans would present a baffling surprise if it lived 2 million years ago. Conversely, a primitive shoulder that appears to be built for climbing would make sense millions of years ago, but doesn’t fit with our ideas about hominin lifestyles in the more recent past. One scientist went so far as to claim that without a convincing measured age, the naledi fossils reveal almost nothing about human evolution.On the other hand, the story of Neanderthals shows how far we’ve come. Using radiocarbon dating, we now know that Neanderthals lived from about 400,000 years ago to 40,000 years ago. Throughout the 20th century, scientists refined these dates using increasingly creative techniques, such as measuring light produced by heated crystals to derive their precise compositions. This knowledge has allowed us to prove that Neanderthals preceded but overlapped with (and occasionally interbred with) modern Homo sapiens.While they wait for similar dating breakthroughs for naledi, some scientists see the lack of an established age as an opportunity in disguise. It allows them to focus on the fossil’s anatomy without being biased by information about its chronology. Anthropologists don’t need to study naledi in isolation; they can compare it - statistically, morphologically, visually - to other known hominins. By focusing on the fossil’s feel rather than its taste, these comparisons move us closer to understanding where Homo naledi fits on the family tree. Even without knowing an exact when, they bring us closer to knowing who we are.Question 16According to the passage, the contrasting physical characteristics of Homo naledi and its potential age imply all of the following EXCEPT:Examining Homo Naledis physical traits contributes nothing to our understanding of human ancestry and evolution.The unusual mix of morphological characteristics showed very modern and remarkably ancient features.Delicate features like the hands resembling those of modern humans evolved much earlier than previously understood.Ancient traits like shoulders built for climbing suitable for ancient hominin lifestyles persisted longer than believed.

Scientists [have] announced the discovery of a never-before-seen human relative, now known as Homo naledi, in a South African cave. The site yielded more than 1,500 bone fragments. That rich fossil cache revealed much about the creatures, yet it left one glaring question unanswered: when did Homo naledi live? The scientists had no evidence for how old the fossils were. Without that information, it was very hard to know where the new species fits on the tangled human family tree, and to figure out its true meaning.Over time, anthropology’s situation has improved greatly with the introduction of new techniques like the measurement of radioactive isotopes that decay predictably over time. Radiocarbon dating can measure the age of the bones themselves. Other techniques, such as potassium-argon dating, can derive the age of surrounding volcanic rock. But even those methods are often limited. Radiocarbon dating works only on fossils 50,000 years or younger, not helpful for most of the 7 million years or so of human evolution. Potassium-argon dating can be applied to much older fossils, but it is useless where there are no volcanic rocks……Within the dark chamber where naledi was found, there were no convenient volcanic rocks. The lack of age information is especially confounding because Homo naledi contains such an odd mixture of morphologies. Some of the fossils’ traits look very modern, for example their human-like hands and feet; others look remarkably ancient, for instance their primitive shoulders and hips. The evolutionary implications of naledi would look entirely different if the fossils were 2 million versus 20,000 years old - and either is possible. A creature with a modern, delicate hand resembling those of modern humans would present a baffling surprise if it lived 2 million years ago. Conversely, a primitive shoulder that appears to be built for climbing would make sense millions of years ago, but doesn’t fit with our ideas about hominin lifestyles in the more recent past. One scientist went so far as to claim that without a convincing measured age, the naledi fossils reveal almost nothing about human evolution.On the other hand, the story of Neanderthals shows how far we’ve come. Using radiocarbon dating, we now know that Neanderthals lived from about 400,000 years ago to 40,000 years ago. Throughout the 20th century, scientists refined these dates using increasingly creative techniques, such as measuring light produced by heated crystals to derive their precise compositions. This knowledge has allowed us to prove that Neanderthals preceded but overlapped with (and occasionally interbred with) modern Homo sapiens.While they wait for similar dating breakthroughs for naledi, some scientists see the lack of an established age as an opportunity in disguise. It allows them to focus on the fossil’s anatomy without being biased by information about its chronology. Anthropologists don’t need to study naledi in isolation; they can compare it - statistically, morphologically, visually - to other known hominins. By focusing on the fossil’s feel rather than its taste, these comparisons move us closer to understanding where Homo naledi fits on the family tree. Even without knowing an exact when, they bring us closer to knowing who we are.Question 14The passage describes the limitations of radiocarbon and potassium-argon dating in the context of:Dating fossils found in volcanic regions only.Determining the age of fossils beyond 50,000 years.Applying to the entire 7 million years of human evolution.Estimating the age of Homo naledi fossils specifically.

Scientists [have] announced the discovery of a never-before-seen human relative, now known as Homo naledi, in a South African cave. The site yielded more than 1,500 bone fragments. That rich fossil cache revealed much about the creatures, yet it left one glaring question unanswered: when did Homo naledi live? The scientists had no evidence for how old the fossils were. Without that information, it was very hard to know where the new species fits on the tangled human family tree, and to figure out its true meaning.Over time, anthropology’s situation has improved greatly with the introduction of new techniques like the measurement of radioactive isotopes that decay predictably over time. Radiocarbon dating can measure the age of the bones themselves. Other techniques, such as potassium-argon dating, can derive the age of surrounding volcanic rock. But even those methods are often limited. Radiocarbon dating works only on fossils 50,000 years or younger, not helpful for most of the 7 million years or so of human evolution. Potassium-argon dating can be applied to much older fossils, but it is useless where there are no volcanic rocks……Within the dark chamber where naledi was found, there were no convenient volcanic rocks. The lack of age information is especially confounding because Homo naledi contains such an odd mixture of morphologies. Some of the fossils’ traits look very modern, for example their human-like hands and feet; others look remarkably ancient, for instance their primitive shoulders and hips. The evolutionary implications of naledi would look entirely different if the fossils were 2 million versus 20,000 years old - and either is possible. A creature with a modern, delicate hand resembling those of modern humans would present a baffling surprise if it lived 2 million years ago. Conversely, a primitive shoulder that appears to be built for climbing would make sense millions of years ago, but doesn’t fit with our ideas about hominin lifestyles in the more recent past. One scientist went so far as to claim that without a convincing measured age, the naledi fossils reveal almost nothing about human evolution.On the other hand, the story of Neanderthals shows how far we’ve come. Using radiocarbon dating, we now know that Neanderthals lived from about 400,000 years ago to 40,000 years ago. Throughout the 20th century, scientists refined these dates using increasingly creative techniques, such as measuring light produced by heated crystals to derive their precise compositions. This knowledge has allowed us to prove that Neanderthals preceded but overlapped with (and occasionally interbred with) modern Homo sapiens.While they wait for similar dating breakthroughs for naledi, some scientists see the lack of an established age as an opportunity in disguise. It allows them to focus on the fossil’s anatomy without being biased by information about its chronology. Anthropologists don’t need to study naledi in isolation; they can compare it - statistically, morphologically, visually - to other known hominins. By focusing on the fossil’s feel rather than its taste, these comparisons move us closer to understanding where Homo naledi fits on the family tree. Even without knowing an exact when, they bring us closer to knowing who we are.Question 13According to the passage, determining the age of Homo naledi fossils is crucial for all the following reasons EXCEPT:Enabling comparison of Homo naledi to other known hominins without bias.Accurately placing Homo naledi on the human evolutionary family tree.Interpreting the evolutionary significance of their modern and ancient morphological traits.Resolving debates about the relevance of Homo naledi to human evolution.

Archaeologists in Valencina, Spain uncovered an astonishingly elaborate tomb in 2008. A treasure trove of riches, including an African elephant tusk, fine flint, ostrich eggshells, and a rock crystal blade, was found inside the single-occupancy grave, which was unusual for the period. It contained a person who lived approximately 5,000 years ago, during the Iberian Copper Age, and was most likely between the ages of 17 and 25. Based on the assumption that the tomb belonged to a wealthy and influential person, experts named its occupant the "Ivory Man."6Mark for ReviewCross out answer choices you think are wrong.ABCWhich choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?AIt provides additional information about the age and social status of the individual buried in the ornate tomb.BIt emphasizes the significance and importance of the tomb and its contents.CIt explains the logic behind the designation given to the individual buried in the tomb.DIt speculates about the possible role of an individual within a particular community during the Iberian Copper Age.

In the film “The Ghosts of Stonehenge,” radiocarbon dates of the human cremations demonstrates ______________________________.Correct!  The individuals were buried over the span of 500 years   The individuals were all buried at the same time   The individuals were almost all infants and children, possibly sacrificial victims   The individuals were almost all adult males, possibly warriors   The individuals were almost all adult females, possibly priestesses