Lab 6 Flashcards
Geoarchaeology
The study of geological processes to understand archaeological sites and the preservation of fossils.
Uniformitarianism
The principle that geological processes operating today also operated in the past, shaping the Earth’s features over millions of years.
Principle of Original Horizontality
The idea that rock layers are originally deposited horizontally and any tilting occurs later due to geological activity.
Principle of Superposition
The concept that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and younger layers are on top.
Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships
A geological principle stating that any feature cutting through another is younger than the material it cuts through.
Bone Surface Modifications
Marks on bones that indicate whether they were altered by weathering, animal activity, or human tools.
Electron Trap Dating
A dating method that measures the accumulation of trapped electrons in materials like quartz and stone tools.
Paleoecology
The study of past ecosystems and environments based on geological and fossil evidence.
Ice Cores
Cylindrical samples taken from ice sheets that preserve climate records over hundreds of thousands of years.
Fossil Flora and Fauna
The study of plant (flora) and animal (fauna) remains to reconstruct past environments.
Isotopic Analyses
The study of stable isotope ratios (e.g., Oxygen-18/Oxygen-16, Carbon-13/Carbon-12) to infer past climates and diets.
C3 vs. C4 Plants
C3 plants (trees, shrubs) have different carbon isotope ratios than C4 plants (grasses, sedges), allowing for dietary and environmental reconstructions.
