Question

Imagine you are working as an archaeologist in eastern Africa in 1978. As you are digging, you come across a layer of fossilized ash from a volcano from 3.7 million BCE. After carefully exposing the impressions left in the fossilized ash, what can we observe? What sort of animal left these impressions so many years ago? Based on this evidence, what claim can you make?

A. We can observe ancient footprints of humans. The claim is that early humans existed in the area at that time.
B. We can observe dinosaur footprints. The claim is that dinosaurs roamed this region millions of years ago.
C. We can observe evidence of alien life forms. The claim is that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth.
D. We can't make any observations or claims based on the evidence.

Answer 1

The impressions found in the fossilized ash from 3.7 million BCE in eastern Africa are most likely ancient footprints of early human ancestors, supporting the claim that such hominins existed in the area. By studying the fossil record, such as the Laetoli footprints, scientists learn about Earth's evolutionary history and extinct species.

Step-by-step explanation:

When analyzing the discovery of impressions left in fossilized ash from eastern Africa dating to 3.7 million BCE, we are most likely observing the ancient footprints of early human ancestors. The Laetoli footprints uncovered by Mary Leakey in the 1980s, which are estimated to be from about 3.5 million years ago, provide significant evidence of early hominin bipedalism. These footprints match the time frame of our hypothetical discovery in 1978 and suggest that an early human-like species, such as Australopithecus afarensis, was responsible for leaving them. This finding supports the claim that early humans existed in the area at that time (Option A).

The fossil record, including various forms of fossilized remains like bones, teeth, and impressions, reveals the history of Earth's biological evolution. Fossils are crucial for establishing not just the existence of past life forms, but also for mapping the progression of evolution and understanding which species have gone extinct. The different layers of rock where fossils are found also provide insights into the relative ages of these fossils, thus helping scientists to reconstruct the paleontological history of our planet.

Learn more about Laetoli footprints here: