The recent fossil discoveries in Morocco appear to push the origins of Homo sapiens back by roughly 100,000 years. The fossils' age, however, has been determined using thermoluminescence dating, a technique with a significant margin of error for material this old. Until independent methods confirm the result, paleontologists are advised to treat the revised timeline as provisional.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the text?
- A
It identifies a different fossil that contradicts the Moroccan finds.
- B
It strongly endorses the conclusions of the new fossil discoveries.
- Ccheck_circle
It introduces a methodological concern that warrants caution about the result.
- D
It defines the term 'Homo sapiens'.
Explanation
The second sentence raises a measurement-uncertainty concern, leading to "provisional" status. B captures this cautionary function.