chaitanya.mehrotra wrote:In Swartkans territory archaeologists discovered charred bone fragments dating back 1 million years. Analysis of fragments, which came from a variety of animals, showed that they had been heated to temperatures no higher than those produced in experimental campfiresmade from branches of white stinkwood, the most common tree around swartkans.

Which of the foll, if true, would, together with the info above, provide the best basis for the claim that the charred bone fragments are evidence of the use of fire by early hominids?

a. The white stinkwood tree is used for building material by present-day inhabitants of swartkans
This option is irrelevant on the topic of discussion. Out of scope.

b. Forest fires can heat wood to a range of temeratures that occur in campfires
This option weakens the argument.

c. The bone fragments were fitted together by the archaeologists to form the complete skeleton of diff, animals
This talks something about bones fragment but it doesn't add anything to conclude that fire was known to hominids.

d. Apart from the Swartkans discovery, there is reliable evidence that early hominids used fire as many as 500,000 years ago
This talks about the evidence that hominids used fire 500,000 years ago but we can not infer that fire is known to them from 1 million years ago.

e. The bone fragments were found in several distict layers of limestone that contained primitive cutting tools known to have been used by early hominids
Correct: if we add this to the information given in the argument, provides best basis to infer that fire was known to early hominids.

Doubt:Option D which shows that hominids were aware of fire should stengthen the argument .As compared to Option E which makes no reference of knowledge of fire by hominids.
OA E[/b]