In archaeology, as in the physical sciences, new discoveries frequently undermine accepted beliefs and give rise to new theories. This trend can be seen in the reaction to the recent discovery of a set of 3.3 – million – year – old fossils in Ethiopia, the remains of the earliest well – preserved child ever found. The fossilized child was estimated to be about 3 years old at death, female, and a member of the Australopithecus afarensis species. The afarensis species, a major human ancestor, lived in Africa from earlier than 3.7 million to 3 million years ago. "Her completeness, antiquity, and age at death make this find unprecedented in the history of paleoanthropology," said Zeresenay Alemseged, a noted paleoanthropologist. Other scientists said that the discovery could reshape conceptions about the lives and capacities of these early humans.
Prior to this discovery, it had been thought that the afarensis species had abandoned the arboreal habitat of its ape cousins. However, while the lower limbs of this fossil supported findings that afarensis walked upright, its gorilla – like arms and shoulders suggested that it retained the ability to swing through trees. This has initiated a reexamination of many accepted theories of early human development. Also, the presence of a hyoid bone, a rarely preserved bone in the larynx that supports muscles of the throat, has had a tremendous impact on theories about the origins of speech. The fossil bone is primitive and more similar to that of apes than to that of humans, but it is the first hyoid found in such an early human – related species.
Each of the following is cited as a reason that the fossils discovered in Ethiopia were important EXCEPT
Correct
Incorrect
Sample passage map (yours will likely differ):
(1) new disc → undermine old beliefs
-child fossil → new theories
(2) 2 things changed w/child
-walking / limbs
-speech / hyoid
The point (articulate to yourself; don't write): New discoveries change old ideas and give rise to new theories. A detailed archaeological example illustrates this overall point. The discovery of a particular skeleton led researchers to reexamine theories about early human life.
Next, identify the question type. The question indicates that four of the answers are mentioned in the passage, so this is a Detail EXCEPT question. Most of the passage discusses fossil discoveries, so go straight to the answer choices and try to find them in the passage.
(A) True. Alemseged's quote indicates that the age at death was one reason why the discovery was significant..
(B) True. Alemseged's quote indicates that the antiquity of the bones was important.
(C) CORRECT. False. While the geographic location of the discovery is given in the passage, the location was not cited as a reason that the fossils were important.
(D) True. According to the passage, the hyoid bone is rarely preserved, and that this was the first hyoid found in such an early human-related species. The passage says that the impact of the discovery of the hyoid bone was tremendous.
(E) True. Alemseged's quote indicates that the completeness of the bones was significant.
