Archaeological discoveries frequently undermine accepted ideas, giving

All correct in 7 mins 40 seconds, including 2 mins 30 seconds to read.
Para 1- 3.3-million year-old fossils undermines accepted ideas
Para 2- gorilla-like arms suggest that afarensis was still able to swing through trees; presence of a hyoid bone


1. The organization of the passage could best be described as
(C) illustrating a contention with a specific example- Correct, the contention is 'Archaeological discoveries frequently undermine accepted ideas, giving rise to new theories' and example of Australopithecus afarensis fossil is given

2. The passage quotes Zeresenay Alemseged in order to
(D) provide corroboration for the significance of the find
“Her completeness, antiquity, and age at death make this find of unprecedented importance in the history of paleoanthropology,” said Zeresenay Alemseged, a noted paleo-anthropologist, opining that the discovery could reconfigure conceptions about early humans’ capacities.

3. Each of the following is cited as a factor in the importance of the discovery of the fossils EXCEPT
(A) the fact that the remains were those of a child- incorrect, “Her completeness, antiquity, and age at death make this find of unprecedented importance in the history of paleoanthropology,
(B) the age of the fossils- incorrect, “Her completeness, antiquity, and age at death make this find of unprecedented importance in the history of paleoanthropology, 3.3 million-year-old fossil
(C) the location of the discovery- Correct
(D) the species of the fossils- incorrect, the female child was of the Australopithecus afarensis species, a human ancestor that lived in Africa over 3 million years ago.
(E) the intact nature of the fossils- incorrect, “Her completeness, antiquity, and age at death make this find of unprecedented importance in the history of paleoanthropology,


4. It can be inferred from the passage's description of the discovered fossil hyoid bone that

(D) the discovery of the hyoid bone necessitated the reexamination of prior theories
the presence of a hyoid bone, a rarely preserved larynx bone that supports throat muscles, has dramatically affected concepts of the origin of speech.

5. The impact of the discovery of the hyoid bone in the field of archaeology could best be compared to which one of the following examples in another field?
(D) Newly revealed journal entries by a prominent Civil War–era politician lead to a questioning of certain accepted historical interpretations about the conflict. - Correct, this scenario is analogous to the discovery of hyoid bone in a Australopithecus afarensis fossil