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Question

Difficulty: MediumSequence of Events

Passage

In the winter of 2024, paleontologist Dr. Sarah Reyes discovered a mislabeled box in the university basement archives containing a fossilized seed, marked simply as 'common flora, 1912.' The discovery instantly recalled her own graduate fieldwork in the Andean foothills twelve years prior, where she had excavated a similar specimen but lacked the technology to analyze its cellular structure. Later in 2024, using a new high-resolution CT scanner, she confirmed that the 1912 seed belonged to an extinct species of cycad, validating a hypothesis she had co-authored in a controversial 2018 journal article. Seeking to trace the seed's origin, she turned to the catalog of the legendary naturalist Luis Barros, who had documented the initial discovery of the Andean fossil beds in his 1895 memoir.

Question

Based on the passage, what is the correct chronological order of the following events, from earliest to latest?

  1. 1The publication of Luis Barros's memoir containing documentation of the Andean fossil beds.
  2. 2The archiving of the fossilized seed under the label 'common flora.'
  3. 3Dr. Reyes's graduate fieldwork in the Andean foothills.
  4. 4Dr. Reyes's co-authorship of a scientific hypothesis in a journal article.

Answer

The correct chronological order of the events from earliest to latest is: the publication of Luis Barros's memoir (1895), the archiving of the fossilized seed (1912), Dr. Reyes's graduate fieldwork in the Andes (2012), and Dr. Reyes's co-authorship of a journal article (2018).
The correct sequence is determined by identifying the specific calendar years for each event: the memoir was published first in 1895; the seed was archived in 1912; the fieldwork took place in 2012 (twelve years prior to 2024); and the journal article was co-authored in 2018.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the publication year of the memoir.
1895
The passage explicitly states that Luis Barros documented the initial discovery of the fossil beds in his 1895 memoir.
2
Determine the year the fossilized seed was archived.
1912
The passage notes that the box containing the seed was marked 'common flora, 1912.'
3
Calculate the year of Dr. Reyes's graduate fieldwork.
2012
The discovery in the winter of 2024 recalled fieldwork she conducted twelve years prior, meaning 2024−12=20122024 - 12 = 2012.
4
Identify the publication year of the journal article.
2018
The passage explicitly states she co-authored the hypothesis in a 2018 journal article.
5
Arrange the years in ascending order.
1895, 1912, 2012, 2018
Sorting the events chronologically from earliest to latest yields the final correct sequence.

Key Concept

Tracking and ordering chronological events in a non-linear narrative
Estimated Time:1m 35s
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Topics

Sequence of Events

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