ANTH 2700 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Paleopathology, Taphonomy, Sampling Bias
Document Summary
Fossil: remains or traces of an ancient organism preserved in the ground. Taphonomy: the study of the processes of burial, decay, and fossilization. For an organism to be preserved: remains of the organism must be suitable; hard tissues, must be buried quickly after death, material in which fossil is buried must be suitable; nonacidic, mineral soils. Mold: a cavity left in firm sediments by the decayed body of an organism. Cast: a representation of an organism created when a substance fills in a mold. Some organisms are better represented in the record than others. Politics (governments hostile to anthropological research, military activity) Organisms do not necessarily stay in same habitat or niche. Sedimentation: the accumulation of geological or organic material deposited by air, water, or ice. Sample of individuals of a given population - if a specific individual is an average number of the population or not. Preservation potential: the probability of a bone being preserved after death.
