Geology 107- Prehistoric Life
Fall 2019
Fossil Hominins (100 points)
Locate and read a recently published (past ~30 years) journal or magazine article, announcing a
new discovery about a group of fossil Hominins, which are the early humans including genera
Homo, Australopithecus, Ardipithecus, and more. It can be a pop-science magazine article (e.g.
National Geographic) or a scholarly journal article.
Write a short paper (1000 words; about 3 pages) addressing the following points:
Who wrote this article, what is its title, and where (ie: what journal/magazine) and when
was it published? Is the author a scientist involved in the study, or a journalist reporting
on science? (If there are multiple authors, just focus on the first author)
Write a summary of the discovery being presented.
Does this article contribute to our understanding of human origins? If so, how?
Remember the definition of science. Does the study seem to have followed the scientific
method? Does it qualify as a science or a pseudoscience? Why?
What else do we need to know? What should be the next steps for these researchers
scientific investigation?
In your opinion, what is the most important point made in this article? Why is it so
important?
Rules
Article must have had a print version. Must be a full-length journal/magazine article, not just a
short online news piece, website, or encyclopedia article. Do include a complete reference, in
the citation style appropriate for your major.
However, a short online news piece could be a good starting place. The library website
(http://library.sjsu.edu) is an excellent search engine for finding articles, once you have an idea
what youre looking for.
