Measurements of the extent of amino-acid decomposition in fragments of eggshell found at archaeological sites in such...
kristinsmith04November 23, 2019
Why not D?
I know this has already been explained but I don't get it - the previous explanation simply said D is not supported by the passage... but why? Is it because we cannot assume a constant rate of amino acid composition, proportional to the length of time dating is achievable?
Thanks!
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Yes. (D) is eliminated because the passage does not state the specific rate of decomposition over time in cooler climates. We know that decomposition is slower here and that the technique can be used for almost a million years, but this does not necessarily translate to a proportional decomposition until that point. Perhaps amino acid in cooler climates all stay intact until right before the millionth year. Since the passage doesn't specify otherwise, we cannot assume this isn't the case. So, the claim that one-fifth of the amino acids would be unsuitable after 200,000 years is based on an assumption that is not stated directly by the given information.
Does that make sense? Please let us know if you have any additional questions and best of luck with your studies!
