Written in Bone Chapter 2

What tools do scientists use to prevent accidentally chipping bones?

• Metal trowel

• They use tools made of wood or plastic

• Transit

• Metal shovel

Answer explanation

Scientists use tools made of wood or plastic to prevent accidentally chipping bones, as these materials are less likely to cause damage compared to metal tools like trowels or shovels.

What does 'in situ' mean?

• Digging for bones

• When a skeleton remains in a different position

• In the exact position and place where an object is first found

• Latin for color

Answer explanation

'In situ' means 'in the exact position and place where an object is first found.' This term is often used in archaeology and geology to describe artifacts or fossils that remain undisturbed in their original location.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.4A

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.RI.7.4

Why do scientists pedestal a skeleton?

•   It makes it easier to see the bones and their positions.
• To remove all the flesh from around the bones.
• To stand it upright.
• To place it on higher ground.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.7.3

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.6.3

Identify three ways scientists can determine the age of a deceased person.

• Age of teeth, decay of tissue, and length of leg bone.

• Length of the leg and arm bones; whether the epiphyses and shafts of long bones are connected with cartilage or fused with bone; presence or absence of teeth.

• Length of bones, missing teeth, color of the soil.

• Missing teeth, missing bones, and color of the soil stain.

Answer explanation

The correct choice identifies three reliable methods: measuring the length of bones, assessing the fusion of epiphyses, and checking for teeth presence, which are all key indicators of age in deceased individuals.

Identify one skeletal feature that differs between males and females.

• A female's chin is more square than a males.

• Females have a smaller sciatic notch than males.

• A female’s skull usually has a larger back ridge.

• Males have a smaller sciatic notch than females.

Answer explanation

Males have a smaller sciatic notch than females, which is a key skeletal difference. The sciatic notch is wider in females to accommodate childbirth, making this choice the correct answer.

What methods do anthropologists use to determine ancestry?

• Skull conditions and soil stains.

• Observation, laboratory testing, and precise measurements.

• Observation and precise measurements.

• Precise measurements only.

Answer explanation

Anthropologists determine ancestry using a combination of observation, laboratory testing, and precise measurements. This comprehensive approach allows for accurate analysis of skeletal remains and other evidence.

What happens when a body decays?

• Microbes consume dead tissue to extract nutrients.

• Muscles and ligaments hold the bones in place.

• Muscles contract and swell.

• Microbes consume bones, causing them to flake.

Answer explanation

When a body decays, microbes play a crucial role by consuming dead tissue to extract nutrients, facilitating the decomposition process. This is the primary mechanism of decay, unlike the other options which are incorrect.

What causes pieces of bone to flake?

• Bones expand when exposed to moisture and contract when they dry out, causing flecks of bones to flake off.

• When they come in contact with air.

• When they are exposed to salt water.

• Bones expand when exposed to air and burst into flakes.

Answer explanation

The correct choice explains that bones expand when exposed to moisture and contract when they dry out, leading to flakes. This process is a natural response to changes in humidity, causing pieces of bone to flake off.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.8

How could the scientists determine that the body in Chapter 2 had been wrapped in a shroud?

• By the position of the skull.

• The shroud was still there.

• By the position of the leg bones.

• By the color of the soil stain.

Answer explanation

The position of the leg bones indicated that they were positioned in a way consistent with being wrapped in a shroud, suggesting the presence of a covering that influenced their arrangement.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.W.7.9A

What features of the skeleton would a scientist examine to determine the person’s gender? 

•  Pelvic bones; skull; long bones of legs and arms; teeth; chin  

• Pelvic bones and skull only.

• The skull and chin only.

• The Chin and teeth only

Answer explanation

To determine a person's gender, scientists examine the pelvic bones, skull, long bones of legs and arms, teeth, and chin. Each of these features provides distinct characteristics that can indicate gender differences.