Mystery Fossil: Physical Anthropology Laboratory Exercises 4.0

This CD-ROM simulates a physical anthropology laboratory experience and teaches students to think like paleoanthropologists. The CD contains descriptions and full color images of 6 unknown (or “mystery”) fossils, 18 known fossils, and the crania and dentition of a modern chimp and human. There are 14 exercises for students to complete within the program. These exercises led students through the steps paleoanthropologists use to study fossil hominins, from learning basic anatomy, measurement of skulls, interpretation of results, and identification of Mystery Fossils. Students learn about lumping and splitting species, and the program asks students to determine the species of the unknown fossils and place them on the hominid family tree.