Dating fossils in rocks gives us a timeline of

human evolution
By National Geographic Society, adapted by Newsela staff on 07.31.19
Word Count 1,248
Level 1030L

Image 1. This photo shows colorful layers of sedimentary rock, or rock that forms when sediment is deposited in layers over a period of time.
Just like this rock formation in Israel, the Koobi Fora in Kenya is a ridge of sedimentary rock. Photo by: Rhododendrites/Wikimedia
Commons

Koobi Fora is a rock formation on the shore of Lake Turkana in Kenya. This area is a ridge of
sedimentary rock, which is a type of rock that forms when layers of sediment build up over time.
Since 1968, archaeologists at Koobi Fora have found more than 10,000 fossils, including hominin
or early human fossils. These fossils have helped scientists investigate the history of
human evolution.

Lake Turkana has a geologic history that has helped keep fossils intact. Scientists suggest that the
lake has been around for about 200,000 years. The current environment around Lake Turkana is
very dry, but it has not always been this way. Over the course of time, the area has seen many
changes. The climate of the region was once more humid, and this might have helped early
humans survive in the region.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

All lakes, rivers and streams carry sediment such as soil, sand, and volcanic matter. The sediment
eventually settles on the bottom of lake beds or at the mouths of rivers, where it groups together.
Over time, the lake's level rises and falls as the environment changes around it. This causes the
layers of sediment to stack on top of each other. In the case of Lake Turkana, bones of ancient
humans and other animal species were buried in the sediment. These bones were eventually
preserved in the rocks and became fossils.

Over the span of Turkana's history, the area has had different landscapes, including flood plains,
forests, lakes and an active volcano. Volcanoes spew out materials such as ash and pumice, a soft
rock. This volcanic matter sometimes falls to the ground, but it can also get carried away by rivers
and streams. Over time, this matter settles at the bottom of the water and is then compacted into a
special type of sedimentary rock called tuff. In the Koobi Fora formation, bands of sedimentary
rock are in between layers of tuff. This is a sign that volcanic activity once dominated the
landscape.

Tectonic activity, such as volcanoes and earthquakes, has also affected the Koobi Fora region.
About 2.6 to 5.3 million years ago, tectonic activity left blocks of land at higher elevations than the
surrounding land, which allowed for erosional forces, such as wind and water, to wear away at
those pieces of rock. This exposed the fossils buried within the rock.

Calculating The Age Of Early Human Fossils

Layers of volcanic rock are extremely important in understanding the history of the Lake Turkana
region. The rock layers allow scientists to calculate the age of early human fossils found in the
region. The reason is that volcanic material in tuff is perfect for a process called radiometric
dating.

Radiometric dating works by comparing different isotopes of an element, including elements such
as carbon, potassium or argon. Isotopes can be found in nature. They are forms of an element that
have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons in the nucleus of the
element's atoms. Some isotopes are unstable. Over time, their nucleus breaks apart, or decays. If
scientists know the time it takes for an isotope to decay, they can also tell the age of the rock that
contains the isotope.

Tuff layers can sometimes contain an unstable isotope of potassium. Scientists use a technique
called potassium-argon dating to tell the age of very old rock material. Over time, the unstable
potassium isotope in the rocks decays into a stable isotope of argon. The relationship between the
unstable potassium isotope and the stable argon isotope tells scientists when the tuff layer cooled
off and solidified into rock.

Knowing when the rock formed allows scientists to estimate a date for the fossils in the rock.
Layers of sedimentary rock are called strata. Any fossils above a layer of strata are younger than
that layer. Any fossils below are older than that layer. This means that older fossils and rocks are
found in lower strata, deeper in the Earth. This idea is called the law of superposition. It is a key
scientific principle in stratigraphy, which is a branch of science that deals with rock layers.

Obstacles To The Dating Process

Dating fossils contributes to a better understanding of our evolutionary history. Radiometric

dating is a scientifically valid method, but scientists can still encounter obstacles with this method.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Extreme heat can change the behavior of elements, for
example, making it harder to know the exact age of
the rocks.

Another common problem encountered by scientists

is that fossils are often encased in rocks or are
similarly colored. As a result, they blend in with their
surroundings. Sometimes, only a small part of a fossil
is showing.

Fossils might also be fragile or found in small

fragments. Archaeologists have to use their skills and
patience to put small pieces back together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Although fossil dating is more
scientifically accurate than it used to be, it still requires skill and experience. Scientists have to
make educated guesses based on any evidence and the dating available for the layers surrounding
the fossils.

Fossils are given specific names, such as "KNM-ER 1813." Each name is a unique identification.
This helps scientists keep track of where and in what order fossils are found. It also helps
paleontologists maintain accurate records and piece together the story of human history. In this
example, the letters "KNM-ER" tells us the relative location where this fossil was found. "KNM"
stands for Kenya National Museum. "ER" stands East Rudolf, from the former name of Lake
Turkana. The numbers that come after the letters are chronological. In this example, our fossil is
the 1,813th fossil found in the area.

Fast Facts

• In 1669, Danish naturalist Nichlaus Steno introduced a new idea. Horizontal layers of
sedimentary rock, he said, show a timeline of Earth's history. He realized that older layers of
sedimentary rocks are deeper in the earth, and younger ones build on top of them. In geology, this
is called the law of superposition.

• The geology of the Lake Turkana region of Kenya shows that the landscape has changed over
time. At times, there was no lake present at all. Lake Turkana, as we know it today, has only been
around for around 200,000 years.

• In addition to Koobi Fora, early human fossils have been found in three other parts of the
Turkana Basin. These are the Shungura Formation, the Usno Formation and the Nachukui
Formation.

• In the 19th and 20th centuries, some researchers thought that the origins of humans would be
found in Asia, rather than Africa. They investigated fossilized teeth and bones found in China. One
site, Dragon Bone Hill, led to the finding of early human remains many call Peking man. These
remains date back to roughly 750,000 years ago.

• The fossils found in the Turkana Basin support the theory of human evolution. They also support
the theory that humans originated in Africa before migrating to other places.

• Rock formations such as Koobi Fora are often given names based on descriptions, local names or
geographic features. The term Koobi Fora comes from the language of the Gabra people who live

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

near the site. Koobi Fora means "a place of the commiphora plant." This plant makes myrrh, a
product used in perfumes.

URL: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/dating-fossils-rocks/

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Quiz

1 The processes that caused the Koobi Fora formations are still happening around the Earth today.

Which conditions would create sedimentary rock with strata similar to the formations at Koobi Fora?

(A) a dry climate with a lot of wind

(B) a cold climate with a lot of snow

(C) a landscape that has steep slopes

(D) a landscape that has flowing water

2 Read the paragraph from the section "Calculating The Age Of Early Human Fossils."

Knowing when the rock formed allows scientists to estimate a date for the fossils in the rock.
Layers of sedimentary rock are called strata. Any fossils above a layer of strata are younger than
that layer. Any fossils below are older than that layer. This means that older fossils and rocks are
found in lower strata, deeper in the Earth. This idea is called the law of superposition. It is a key
scientific principle in stratigraphy, which is a branch of science that deals with rock layers.

What conclusion is BEST supported by the paragraph above?

(A) Scientists use the law of superposition to identify which rock layers are likely to contain fossils.

(B) Scientists can use stratigraphy to create a rough timeline across an exposed sedimentary rock face.

(C) Scientists who examine fossils found in a layer of strata are able to assign an exact date to the fossils.

(D) Scientists can determine the age of the Earth by dating rock layers found in the lower strata.

3 Scientists are studying fossils in strata of a sedimentary rock formation as shown below, with Layer A on the top and Layer D on
the bottom.

Layer A
Layer B
Layer C
Layer D

According to the law of superposition, which rock layer would contain the oldest fossils?

(A) Layer A

(B) Layer B

(C) Layer C

(D) Layer D

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

4 Read the following statement.

An earlier environment at Koobi Fora may have been advantageous to human habitation.

Which sentence from the article provides the BEST support for the above statement?

(A) Since 1968, archaeologists at Koobi Fora have found more than 10,000 fossils, including hominin or
early human fossils.

(B) The current environment around Lake Turkana is very dry, but it has not always been this way.

(C) The climate of the region was once more humid, and this might have helped early humans survive in the
region.

(D) In the case of Lake Turkana, bones of ancient humans and other animal species were buried in the
sediment.

5 Many events have happened in the Koobi Fora area that have created the fossils and rock strata.

In what order did these events happen (from oldest to most recent)?

A. Lake Turkana develops

B. tectonic activity pushes blocks of land upward
C. archeologists uncover more than 10,000 fossils

(A) B, A then C

(B) B, C then A

(C) C, A then B

(D) C, B, then A

6 Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

Koobi Fora is a rock formation on the shore of Lake Turkana in Kenya. This area is a ridge of
sedimentary rock, which is a type of rock that forms when layers of sediment build up over time.
Since 1968, archaeologists at Koobi Fora have found more than 10,000 fossils, including hominin
or early human fossils. These fossils have helped scientists investigate the history of human
evolution.

Which word from the paragraph helps you understand that fossils found at Koobi Fora illustrate change over time?

(A) sediment

(B) hominin

(C) early human

(D) evolution

7 Which statement from the article explains the significance of tuff when scientists are trying to measure the age of a rock layer?

(A) Scientists use a technique called potassium-argon dating to tell the age of very old rock material.

(B) Knowing when the rock formed allows scientists to estimate a date for the fossils in the rock.

(C) Any fossils above a layer of strata are younger than that layer.

(D) Extreme heat can change the behavior of elements, for example, making it harder to know the exact
age of the rocks.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

8 Read the selection from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

Lake Turkana has a geologic history that has helped keep fossils intact. Scientists suggest that
the lake has been around for about 200,000 years. The current environment around Lake
Turkana is very dry, but it has not always been this way.

Which option is the BEST definition of the word "intact" as used in the selection?

(A) dehydrated

(B) observable

(C) fragmented

(D) unharmed

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.