Anthropology Week 4

In the brief video assigned this week, Bill Nye and Richard Milner discuss Darwin's notion of science being 'provisional'... what does this mean and what is the significance to science and the idea of evolution?

Science is provisional, meaning scientific knowledge is always subject to change based on new evidence. This is essential to the scientific process and to our ability to learn about the natural world, including evolution. Evolution is a complex process, and we are constantly learning more about it. The provisional nature of science allows us to be open to new evidence and to revise our understanding of evolution as needed.

Mendelian inheritance explains some 5,000 human traits. Most genetic expressions, however, are not the result of Mendelian heredity but rather are_______________. a. based on the law of independent assortment b. polygenic traits c. dependent on the law of segregation d. the expression of a dominant trait

b

Primatologists, who study a subfield of biological anthropology, are mainly interested in primates because a. the way they gather and consume food demonstrates the impact of climate change. b. a biological perspective provides a better understanding of our place in the animal world, as well as possible models for how early humans may have behaved. c. career-wise, this field is the most lucrative. d. their skeletons and DNA hold promising potentials for medical research.

b

The first step in the scientific method is a. accepting or modifying a hypothesis. b. creating a hypothesis to explain an observation or answer a question. c. testing a hypothesis. d. contacting colleagues to set up an experiment.

b

The scientific naming system developed by Carolus Linnaeus is called _______________ and includes ____________. a. taxonomy; the species and the genus b. binomial nomenclature; the genus and the species c. classification; the genus and the species d. genomics; the kind and the species

b

A contemporary of Darwin, who independently reached similar conclusions as Darwin regarding descent of different species from a shared ancestor was: a. Georges Cuvier b. James Hutton c. Alfred Russel Wallace d. John Ray

c

Which distinguishing characteristics within the primate taxonomy do humans have? a. Nails (not claws), small brains, non-specialized diet, diurnality. b. Stereoscopic vision, long period of infant dependency, quadrapedalism, nocturnality. c. Prehensile hands and feet, stereoscopic vision, large brains, diurnality. d. Prehensile hands and feet, nails (not claws), single offspring, arboreality.

c

Which of the following is not a principle of science? a. The universe operates according to understandable laws. b. There is a real and knowable universe. c. For every action, there is a subsequent and equal reaction. d. The laws are unchanging.

c

Mutations are a. a science-fiction term used in popular culture (e.g., X-Men) to describe how the human race might continue evolving. b. witnessed only in cases involving radiation, exposure to certain chemicals, and viruses, and have wholly negative consequences such as disease and death. c. only positive alterations to our DNA, enabling evolution to favor traits such as bipedalism and larger brains. d. the source for all variation within groups, occurring when DNA is replicated erroneously.

d

Which characteristics do humans share with nearly all primates? a. grasping hands with nails rather than claws b. sociality c. dietary plasticity with generalized teeth d. all of the above

d

Which statement best explains why taxonomy is a critical component of biological anthropology? a. It enables scientists to share a common language. b. It helps us determine which species are the oldest. c. All species need a scientific name. d. It helps scientists know where humans belong in relation to other species.

d

A trait that is not expressed in an organism is a ______________ trait.

recessive

Explain a limitation of the Linnaean classification system (full sentences please).

The Linnaean classification system is based on physical similarities, rather than on evolutionary relationships. This means that closely related species may be classified in different groups, and distantly related species may be classified in the same group.

Jean Baptiste Lamarck is associated with the theory of a. Mendelian genetics. b. Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics. c. uniformitarianism. d. punctuated equilibrium.

b

The last common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos existed approximately a. 75 million years ago. b. 6-7 million years ago. c. 21 million years ago. d. 1 million years ago.

b

How was the natural world viewed by most Europeans before the 19th century? as an expression of the laws of natural selection as a visual representation of the tree of life as an analogy of the evolutionary process as a static hierarchy that included God, angels, humans, and other life forms

d