Anthropology Midterm
The comparative method: a) studies the evolution of a single language b) focuses on one society over a long period of time c) uses data from many different societies d) is the only accepted method of research in modern anthropology
uses data from many different societies
Which of the following traits is unique to hominids and NOT found in other primates? a) binocular vision b) bipedalism c) grasping hands d) fingernails
bipedalism
The taxonomic ordering of Homo Erectus has been completely resolved through careful fossil analysis. T or F
false
According to Becoming Human (and Danial Lieberman), the most compelling hypothesis for why bipedalism developed in early hominins is: a) it allowed them to carry offspring b) it allowed them to see predators c) it conserved energy d) it helped them see potential mates from long distances
it conserved energy
Darwin's idea about the major process of evolution is called: a) descent with modification b) natural selection c) inheritance of acquired characteristics d) adaptation
natural selection
The ability to touch the thumb with the tips of the other fingers on the same hand is called: a) dexterity b) prehensility c) grasping d) opposability
opposability
Males and females in a given primate population may be co-dominant. T or F
true
According to "Our Babies Ourselves", in the United States, individualism is valued highly, so generally parents do not hold their babies as much as other cultures. T or F
false
All humans are born with some culture. T or F
false
Behavioral ecology uses a comparative approach to evaluate differences among primates. T or F
false
In science, a theory is an educated guess and is not well-accepted among the scientific community. T or F
false
Paleoanthropologists believe that the predominant diet of our earliest omnivorous ancestors consisted mostly of: a) domesticated plants b) roots, tubers, and fruits c) seafood and plants d) meat from large mammals
roots, tubers, and fruits
One of the important ways that genetic material is moved between different populations, such as through gene flow, is: a) through the decision about when to have a child b) through the careful use of birth control products c) through the prevention of sexually transmitted infections d) through the choice of a sexual partner
through the choice of a sexual partner
Becoming Human: According to a technique called the "molecular clock," humans and chimpanzees last shared a common ancestor about ____________ years ago. a) 200,000 b) 5 to 7 million c) 22 million d) 65 million
5 to 7 million
A dominance hierarchy exists when members of the same group have a) specific individuals who possess greater physical strength than others b) an agreed upon "pecking order" that allows individuals to mate with others c) ranking relative to others that establishes access to resources d) a relationship with other groups that allows them to establish peaceful relations
ranking relative to others that establishes access to resources
Cultural anthropologists face an ethical responsibility in their work and so must disclose to informants a) funding sources for research b) reasons for doing the research c) their location in the field d) the names of all informants
reasons for doing the research
In which of the following locations would you likely find an anthropologist doing fieldwork? a) a factory b) a mental institution c) a New York city neighborhood d) the Amazon rainforest e) all of the above
all of the above
A form of non-portable material culture that a human has made and modified is called a/an____________. a) feature b) geode c) flake d) fossil
feature
If you observed gradual changes in environmental temperature and, at the same time, observed that there were changes in the phenotype of a butterfly species over fifteen generations, which theory might best help explain what is going on? a) plasticity b) natural selection c) extinction d) essentialism
natural selection
Who are the Narcerima? a) A group of Mesoamericans conquered by the Aztecs. b) A previously isolated indigenous group from the Amazon c) Americans d) They are a fictitious group of people made up by Horace Milner to fool gullible people
Americans
The famous group of hominids known as the Neanderthals is included in which of the following groups? a) Archaic Homo sapiens b) anatomically modern homo sapiens c) Australopithecus d) homo erectus
Archaic Homo sapiens
Historical archaeologists only excavate sites where written historical documentation exists that provide an accurate description of the way the people actually lived. T or F
False
What is the tool tradition associated with Homo habilis? a) Oldowan b) Levallois c) Mousterian d) Acheaulian
Oldowan
The rough edge stone chopping tools made by Homo Habilis are called: a) Olduvai axes b) Obiwan tools c) Olduwan tools d) Homo habilis toolkits
Olduwan tools
Who, along with Niles Eldridge, developed the theory of punctuated equilibrium? a) Duane Gish b) Mary Leakey c) Charles Lyell d) Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould
One important adaptation found in New World monkeys is the presence of: a) a longer thumb b) a prehensile tail c) a wet nose d) color that blends into the surrounding habitat
a prehensile tail
Shaking hands when you meet someone is an example of a: a) folkway b) more c) taboo d) material culture
folkway
In anthropology, holism refers to: a) seeking to understand how all aspects of our species are related b) promoting the use of traditional medicine in contemporary society c) using religion to guide research d) the idea that we can never know anything fully, and all research is filled with "holes"
seeking to understand how all aspects of our species are related
Archbishop James Ussher calculated the age of the earth at about: a) about 6,000 years old b) 65 million years old c) 4.5 billion years old d) 10 billion years old
about 6,000 years old
An ethical approach to anthropological research would emphasize: a) a commitment to doing no harm b) the rejection of clandestine research c) responsibilities towards the host country and the people you are studying d) all of the above
all of the above
When cultural anthropologists go into the field: a) they go with a set of questions they want to ask and have answered b) they often change the focus of their question to fit what they are seeing c) they often go with the flow of everyday life, even if it seems off-topic at the time d) all of the above
all of the above
Social behavior patterns observed in one species that look like behavior patterns in another, but which do not arise from a shared ancestry, are known as a) non-ancestral behaviors b) homologous behaviors c) analogous behaviors d) inherited behaviors
analogous behaviors
Among cultural anthropologists, fieldwork involves: a) learning the local language b) becoming involved in people's lives c) spending a significant amount of time in the field d) any of the above
any of the above
The subfield of anthropology that studies the material remains of past cultures is called: a) biological anthropology b) linguistic anthropology c) cultural anthropology d) archaeology
archaeology
According to "Our Babies Ourselves", which of the following is NOT typical of child-rearing practices in the United States. a) Bottle-feeding over breast-feeding b) Bed-sharing with child c) Longer periods of crying to teach a child self-reliance d) Adult supervision of small children
bed-sharing with child
Studying another culture from its own point of view without imposing our own cultural values is known as: a) Moral relativism b) cultural relativism c) ethnocentrism d) culture-bound worldview
cultural relativism
Which of the following is NOT a concept key to the human culture as discussed in the lecture? a) culture is shared b) culture is isolated c) culture is shared d) culture is transformative
culture is isolated
According to the "Survival of the Fittest" video , what trait of the Rock Pocket Mouse was best adapted to survival on the lava flow? a) long tail b) wide feet c) nocturnal vision d) dark fur
dark fur
In order to study culture one must travel to distant, far-off places. T or F
false
The theory of culture that proposes that cultural practices, beliefs, and institutions fulfill the psychological and physical needs of society is called a) historical particularism b) social evolution c) functionalism d) cultural materialism
functionalism
Which of the following is NOT evidence of early hominid bipedalism in the fossil record (as discussed in the presentation)? a) wide pelvis b) foramen magnum that sits at base of skull instead of towards the back c) laetoli footprints d) strong clavicle
laetoli footprints
The subfield of anthropology that studies language use is called: a) biological anthropology b) linguistic anthropology c) cultural anthropology d) archaeology
linguistic anthropology
Which skeletal feature is paleoanthropologists' best indicator of bipedalism in a fossil? a) depth suborbital ridges b) size of sagittal crest c) location of the foramen magnum d) size of prognathism
location of the foramen magnum
The influence of figures like Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, and Galileo Galilei on the intellectual history of evolution is that they showed the importance of a) a cosmic perspective on the political world b) the reality of gravity c) observing nature and using evidence to build knowledge d) the earth rotating around the sun
observing nature and using evidence to build knowledge
If you wanted to understand very early, non-living human beings, you would likely engage in: a) historical anthropology b) paleoanthropology c) geological analysis d) living primates such as the great apes
paleoanthropology
Which of the following is NOT one of the four major sub-fields of anthropology? a) physical/biological anthropology b) linguistics c) paleontology d) archaeology
paleontology
Which of the following is NOT a part of a human's taxonomic classification? a) primate b) mammal c) plattyrhine d) hominoid
plattyrhine
Among the Bonobo chimpanzees, social conflict is often resolved through sexual activity. This is a form of: a) affiliation b) dominance c) behavior modification d) reconciliation
reconciliation
The Law of Superposition says that: a) sedimentary layers are deposited in a time sequence with the youngest on the bottom and the oldest on the top. b) sedimentary layers are deposited in a time sequence with the oldest on the bottom and the youngest on the top. c) sedimentary layers are deposited in a time sequence with all layers arranged next to each other making it impossible to determine what is older and younger d) sedimentary layers are not deposited in a time sequence
sedimentary layers are deposited in a time sequence with the oldest on bottom and the youngest on the top
Anthropologists overcome ethnocentrism by: a) developing theories to explain human action b) studying a culture's customs c) defending whatever another culture does d) seeing matters from the point of view of another culture
seeing matters from the point of view of another culture
An evolutionary perspective would be most likely to explain colonialism as a) the natural abilities of more civilized people to control less civilized people b) the importance of Enlightenment ideas in explaining cultural difference c) that more evolved countries shouldn't get involved in the development of other countries d) a useful holistic response to social problems
the natural abilities of more civilized people to control less civilized people
How, in general, does Marvin Harris (a materialist) explain the biblical dietary laws? a) they were means of establishing the identity of the ancient Hebrews b) they were all related to the Hebrews worldview and what was "normal" in their world c) they resulted from some practical, usually economic considerations d) they functioned to impose order in one part of the ancient Hebrews' world
they resulted from some practical, usually economic considerations
If a functionalist were to explain why the teacher lectures from the front of the classroom to students organized in neatly arranged chairs, she or he would emphasize that a) This style of teaching is traditional and thus inherent to the culture b) this way of teaching organizes people to promote shared cultural goals c) this mode of teaching evolved over time d) the teacher is the symbolic head of the class
this way of teaching organizes people to promote shared cultural goals
"Evolution as Fact and Theory" uses all of the following are arguments to support evolution as fact EXCEPT: a) The abundant, direct observational evidence of evolution in action from the lab and field b) The imperfection of nature reveals that evolution occurred as there are many examples of species that could have been better designed by an engineer c) Transitional forms found in the fossil record d) Genetic evidence proving modern humans descended from chimpanzees
transitional forms found in the fossil record
A consequence of larger brain sizes in early humans is that they require larger amounts of energy. T or F
true
Culture can be transmitted virtually through the Internet in addition to face-to-face interaction. T or F
true
Gene flow is the movement of genetic material across different populations. T or F
true
Primates often live in groups in order to avoid predators. T or F
true
A word that best describes participant observation is: a) easy b) comfortable c) unstructured d) well-planned
unstructured
