Palaeoenviron

Question 1

Defn ecology

Answer 1

Rela. Between orgs and environ

Question 2

Defn uniformitarianism

Answer 2

Current ecological framework = same as past

Question 3

Defn biome

Answer 3

Fauna & floral comm within natural ecological habitat

Question 4

Significance of animals in palaeoenvironment

Answer 4

Act as proxies 4 environment
Grassland= certain animals are found etc

Question 5

Macro fauna in diff biomes

Answer 5

Grassland= wildebeest; hartebeest; zebra
Forest=monkey;bushpig
Wetland=hippo;flamingo
Karoo=ostrich;springbok

Question 6

Role of insects

Answer 6

Good indicators of environment bc of good preservation

Question 7

Palaeoenvironmental methods (phdc)

Answer 7

Post cranial ecomorphology = rela bet ecological adaptation n morphology of animal
Dental mesowear= degree of wear lifetime
Hypsodonty index = long term pressure on teeth due 2 diet
Carbon isotopes= to tell if c3 or c4 plants are apart of the animals diet

Question 8

What do isotopes tell us & which isotopes

Answer 8

Diet
Environment
Climate

Nitrogen ; oxygen ; carbon

Question 9

Carbon and nitrogen isotopes are sourced from (human)

Answer 9

Bone
Enamel

Question 10

Defn isotope

Answer 10

Same no. protons
Diff no. neutrons

Question 11

C3 are … kinda plants . temp?

Answer 11

Grass warm

Question 12

C4 source? Temp?

Answer 12

Trees / shrubs
Cooler

Question 13

Explain Carbon isotope photosynthesis pathway (6)

Answer 13

Atm = c12 n c13
Plants take in co2 n convert to glucose using light
C3 take c12 (lighter) so have low ratio of c13 to c12
C4 take c12 but it reduces c12 so have high ratio of c13 to c12
Found in enamel

Question 14

In animal food chain who gets the enriched nitrogen

Answer 14

Carnivores & marine orgs

Question 15

Explain how animals consume nitrogen isotopes

Answer 15

Plants take both N15 and N14 from soil.. they prefer N14 so they have a low ratio of N15 to N14
Herbivores eat plants so N15 to N14 ratio is slightly higher
Carnivores eat herbivores so they get their high conc of N15 from herbivores
N15 =more concentrated as we move thru food tropic lvls

Question 16

What do oxygen isotopes tell us (o16 n o18)

Answer 16

O18 cooler water (glacial)
O16 warmer water (interglacial)

Question 17

Fourth isotope and it’s function

Answer 17

Strontium
Sediment types and if local geology is nutrient poor or rich

Question 18

What were 1st true mammals like 200mya

Answer 18

Insectivore eg meerkat

Question 19

What is relative dating

Answer 19

Relative order of past events w/o absolute age

Question 20

Name the SA land mammal ages (Lma) (4) their dates . An eg of a organism that existed in that age

Answer 20

Cornelian 1mya to 400 kya eg black wildebeest
Florisian 400kya to 12kya eg Homo sapiens ..megafauna extinction
Langabaanian 5.5 mya to 3.8 eg suids
Makapanian 3.8 mya to 1 eg sabre toothed cat (Diego from ice age)

Question 21

When were domesticates introduced. And why

Answer 21

10kya
Because megafauna extinction … had to find alternative food .? Increase in humans