He flap of elastic cartilage that protects food from entering the larynx when swallowing is the

the principles and empirical processes of discovery and demonstration considered characteristic of or necessary for scientific investigation, generally involving the observation of phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis concerning the phenomena, experimentation to test the hypothesis, and development of a conclusion that confirms, rejects, or modifies the hypothesis.

some scientists like gregory adcock agree with thorne's theory of regional continuity.

others, like chris stringer and ian tattersall, believe thorne's results may be contaminated or misinterpreted.