BLOODY FOSSILS...

[Zebra]

fossils as a record of evolutionary change over time <is this talking about all that transition fossils etc etc

my question is... how much do we have to know on fossils?? (radiometric dating, thermoluminiscence? stratigrphay?)
LOL I can't even spell the techniques involved with fossils.

thanks

[nooshnoosh95]

we finished the coarse and i havent even hear of the last two of those before
so hopefully not much

[Greatness]

fossils as a record of evolutionary change over time <is this talking about all that transition fossils etc etc

my question is... how much do we have to know on fossils?? (radiometric dating, thermoluminiscence? stratigrphay?)
LOL I can't even spell the techniques involved with fossils.

thanks

Yeah i think you would have to know them. Just learn the main ideas behind them.

[Jdog]

definately know about stratigraphy and radiometric dating, they are quite important and if you get a fossil question it will most likely be about that or, how fossils are formed in the first place.


but yes it is ESSENTIAL you know about means of dating fossils. and anaylsis of fossils,

[WhoTookMyUsername]

thermoluminesence... rings a bell but couldn't find it in my textbooks, its similar to electron spin resonance, yes?

[Greatness]

thermoluminesence... rings a bell but couldn't find it in my textbooks, its similar to electron spin resonance, yes?

yeah it's one of the odd ones from memory. i think it was in my textbook - nelson

[Zebra]

okay, now can someone give me a brief summary? (IT WILL HELP YOU LEARN TOO!!)

[dou0014]

Law of superposition (principle in stratigraphy) and correlation for relative ageing rocks. 
And for absolute age I think it's imperative to know that carbon dating dates rocks <45,000 years. And radio dating >45,000 years. I don't think that they would expect us to know the Electron spin resonance because there is a level or chemistry to it and kind of seems irrelevant. Maybe just know that its for material more than 60,000 years of age and to determine when an object was last heated/exposed to light. I hate fossils too  

[slothpomba]

Never heard of the thermo one. I've very sure it won't come up.

Radiometric is fairly important though. I'd make sure you know a decent bit.

[Zebra]

carbon 14 and uranium 235 (specific techiques) ? or just know what the technique uses and how it works

[slothpomba]

I think in my exam there was a question regarding specific techniques. You might want to know what time periods they last for or are most effective for. You may want to consult previous exams.

[LittleMunckin]

Thurmoluminescnece (however it's spelt) is basically how much light a fossil releases once heated - the more light it emits the older the fossil.. i think

[slothpomba]

You might want to check if thats in the study design, i don't ever remember hearing about it.

[sally baker]

i dont think you really have to know all the types , but  you should know one or two ,  and yeah there was a short answer question , but you would only state  the one you know like radiocarbon dating.
Also thermoluminescence is just another  technique which is dates objects such as pottery , cooking hearths and fire treated tools up to 500000 years old.