Chapter 13 How Humans Evolved: Physical Anthropology

Which of the following types of evidence have never been found outside of Africa dating earlier than 63 ka?

anatomically modern human fossils FEEDBACK: Anatomically modern fossils are found throughout the rest of the world, but none appears outside of Africa until after 63 ka.

What is the best evidence for the existence of large social networks during the MSA?

evidence of long-distance transport or trade of raw materials FEEDBACK: At several MSA sites there is evidence of long-distance transport of small amounts of raw materials. The long-distance movements of these resources may mean that Upper Paleolithic peoples ranged over long distances or that they participated in long-distance trade networks.

Which of the following is a derived feature that fossils classified as anatomically modern Homo sapiens share with contemporary humans?

less robust postcranial skeletons FEEDBACK: The fossils of anatomically modern Homo sapiens share a number of derived traits with modern humans, including less robust postcranial skeletons; small, flat faces with protruding chins; cranial capacities of at least 1,350 cc; rounded skulls; and relatively long limbs with short trunks.

Which of the following is an example of a Mode 5 tool?

microliths FEEDBACK: Microliths have a sharp edge on one side and a carefully flattened surface on the other side. Archaeologists classify these as Mode 5 tools.

Among human populations, Australians seem to have been the first to do which of the following?

use polished stone tools FEEDBACK: Homo sapiens entered Australia about 40 ka. About 15 ka, Australians seem to have been the first people to have used polished stone tools, which are made by grinding rather than flaking.

Where were the Upper Paleolithic peoples from and what did they do?

western Eurasia; created tool industries different from those of earlier hominins FEEDBACK: The first modern humans in western Eurasia created a number of tool industries in different areas that were different from those made by Neanderthals and other earlier hominins. They are referred to as Upper Paleolithic peoples to distinguish them from those associated with the earlier tool industries.

Which of the following is evidence of a possible earlier expansion of modern humans out of Africa?

DNA evidence shows that modern human genes entered Neanderthal populations more than 100 ka. FEEDBACK: The two-migration scenario includes the well-established migration around 60 ka and suggests there was an earlier one more than 100 ka. There is some tentative evidence supporting this earlier migration, including teeth found in China that have been dated to between 120 ka to 80 ka and genetic studies of Neanderthal DNA that indicates modern human genes had entered the population by 100 ka.

What has been found regarding Neanderthal and Denisovan genes in modern human populations?

Only a few of the Neanderthal genes were beneficial to modern humans. FEEDBACK: There is evidence that most of the Neanderthal genes that entered modern human populations were selected against, although a few may have been beneficial. For example, almost half of East Asians carry a DNA segment that impacts skin pigmentation and almost three-quarters of Europeans have a different gene that affects skin pigmentation and freckling.

What is the age of the earliest anatomically modern human fossils and where are they from?

190 ka; Africa FEEDBACK: The earliest anatomically modern human fossils date to 190 ka. The fossil from Omo Kibish, Ethiopia was well dated at 190 ka, while possibly earlier ones from Jebel Irhoud in Morocco, dating to between 300 ka and 200 ka, have issues with the dating and seem to be a mixture of Homo heidelbergensis and modern humans.

What is significant about node L3 in the map of genetic development and distribution of modern humans?

All modern non-African humans are connected to node L3. FEEDBACK: More than two-thirds of modern Africans carry mtDNA descended from L2 and L3, but all non-Africans are descendants of two nodes, M and N, that are connected to L3 by very short branches.

Which of the following statements about the Châtelperronian industry is true?

Châtelperronian tools are associated with Denisovan fossils at Saint-Césaire. FEEDBACK: Châtelperronian tools are associated with Neanderthal fossils at Saint- Césaire, Arcy-sur-Cure, and Grotte du Renne. Archaeological data indicate that the Châtelperronian and Aurignacian industries co-existed in southern France for hundreds of years, one of the points of evidence used to support the idea that the Châtelperronian is the result of Neanderthals' borrowing ideas and technology from modern humans.

Which of the following is true of the development of modern human behavior?

Humans could have evolved new cognitive abilities that were not reflected in their physical anatomy. FEEDBACK: Morphology and behavior can be decoupled; people who look fully modern could have evolved new cognitive abilities that were not reflected in their skeletal anatomy.

What can be concluded from analysis of the genomes of early modern humans regarding interbreeding with Neanderthals?

Interbreeding occurred early in the spread of modern humans and continued for a long time. FEEDBACK: By analyzing the DNA from three early modern human fossils from Siberia, western Russia, and Romania, geneticists have been able to determine that interbreeding occurred approximately 50 ka, which is shortly after expansion, and continued until at least 36 ka. The amount of interbreeding, however, was likely quite low. There is some evidence to suggest that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred earlier than 60 ka.

In the growth of modern human populations, what happened to the amount of genetic variation for human populations?

It decreased as their distance from Africa increased. FEEDBACK: The stepwise expansion of humans from Africa leaves a distinctive genetic signature because each time emigrants leave their natal population, they carry with them a subset of the genes present in that population. This means that the amount of genetic variation within populations decreases as distance from Africa increases.

Which of the following is now believed to be true of the Middle Stone Age in Africa, particularly by Sally McBrearty at University of Connecticut and Alison Brooks at George Washington University?

It involved symbolic behavior, including the performance of ritual practices. FEEDBACK: McBrearty and Brooks have argued that the MSA is not qualitatively similar to the Mousterian in Europe and that most of the signatures of modern human behavior developed in Africa between 250 and 60 kya, including ritual burials.

What is the problem with evidence of shelters and hearths constructed during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) in Africa?

It is impossible to say for sure that natural processes didn't produce the features believed to be shelters and hearths. FEEDBACK: There are many MSA sites in Africa at which people seem to have constructed hearths and built huts, but for each of these it is impossible to rule out the possibility that natural processes produced the features that archaeologists have documented.

Which of the following is true of what we can or cannot determine using genetic information about the MRCA (most recent common ancestor) and mutations?

Knowing the age of the MRCA allows biologists to estimate population sizes in the past. FEEDBACK: Because there is a known relationship between population size and the age of the most recent common ancestor, knowing the age of the MRCA allows biologists to estimate population sizes in the past.

Which of the following is true regarding the archaeological data around modern humans expanding out of Africa?

Modern humans arrived in eastern Asia and Australia at approximately the same time. FEEDBACK: There is evidence, albeit limited, of modern humans occupying East Asia around the time Australia becomes inhabited - about 40 ka. The Batadomba-lena Cave in Sri Lanka, dating to 28 ka, has sophisticated Upper Paleolithic-style artifacts, and several sites in China, Mongolia, and Siberia, including one dating to 45 ka, yielded evidence of modern human occupation.

Which of the following can be determined by comparing the patterns of genetic variation within living people and genetic material extracted from fossils?

Modern humans outside of Africa are all descended from one or more populations that left Africa about between 120 ka and 40 ka. FEEDBACK: We can tell from comparing modern genetic data and data extracted from fossils that modern humans outside of Africa are all descended from one or more populations that left Africa between 120 ka and 40 ka.

What is the significance of the possible earlier expansion of modern humans before 100 ka?

Most genes carried by modern non-Africans are descendants of those who migrated after 60 ka. FEEDBACK: Even if this earlier expansion occurred prior to 100 ka, the expansion was unsuccessful. Most of the genes of modern non-Africans are from those who left Africa 60 ka. The earlier migrants either went extinct or were replaced by the later group.

In which of the following ways did Neanderthals differ from Upper Paleolithic peoples?

Neanderthals lived at lower population densities. FEEDBACK: Upper Paleolithic peoples lived at higher population densities in Europe than did Neanderthals, one of the indications that Upper Paleolithic peoples were better equipped to deal with their environment. While both Neanderthals and Upper Paleolithic peoples buried their dead, the burials of Upper Paleolithic peoples also appear to have been accompanied by ritual.

Which of the following is true of the stone tools found at the Herto site?

They are much like those found in association with earlier African Homo heidelbergensis. FEEDBACK: The stone tools found at the site are much like those found in association with earlier African Homo heidelbergensis, and include evidence of use in symbolic or burial practices.

Which of the following is true of the shelter and clothing used by Upper Paleolithic peoples?

They covered many of their shelters with large animal hides. FEEDBACK: There is evidence that Upper Paleolithic peoples used large animal hides to cover shelters supported by mammoth bones.

In which of the following ways were modern humans similar to Neanderthals?

They had similar subsistence economies. FEEDBACK: Modern humans exploited a wider range of prey species than did the Neanderthals, but the subsistence economies of the two populations were similar.

What was a drawback of the blade tools used by the Upper Paleolithic peoples in comparison to older types of cutting tools?

They took more time to manufacture. FEEDBACK: Although blades made more efficient use of materials, they also took more time to manufacture, requiring more preparation and more finishing strokes.