Holly Proulx
PHSC 210-A01
Mr. Stephen Underwood
October 27, 2014
Introduction The article, “East Africa’s Great Rift Valley: A Complex Rift System” by James Wood and Alex Guth, is a wonderfully written article about the “complicated system of rift segments” (Wood and Guth, n.d.). During this paper I will be discussing the articles main points, as well as the strengths and weaknesses I have found throughout the article. “This unique geological setting may have altered the local climate which may have in turn caused our ancestors to develop the skills necessary to walk upright, develop culture and ponder how such a rift came to be” (Wood and Guth, n.d.).
Brief Overview and Main Points This article is broken down into two parts; the East Africa Rift System and the East Africa Rift. There are man detailed maps that help to explain the processes of the formation of the rifts. The article starts out by explaining what the East Africa Rift System is and explaining the maps and figures that are included. The article, written by Wood and Guth, talks about the two branches of rift that make the East African Rift and how they were formed. Understanding this will help us better understand our ancestors. The authors provide a visual explanation, attempting to prove that the world is billions of years old.
Article Strengths This article has a lot strengths that makes it easy to read, as well as interesting. It has a lot of detailed maps that make it easier to understand for those who are visual learners. Seeing exactly where the rifts are and truly how complex the system is, helps to better understand. This article also talks about other points of interest. Having other points of interest in this article helps to better understand the East Africa Rift System by better understanding other things involved in it. As the article states, it “is also important for understanding the roots of human evolution” (Wood and