short answer anthropology test 2

4. Discuss and describe two of the six primate biological tendencies/traits that were considered in the lecture and your textbook. For each, be sure to detail the evolutionary advantages of each of the tendencies.

grasping and smell to sight

12. What explains the biological variation between human populations today? Explain why different groups of people share certain physical traits that makes them different from others. In addition, provide an example of one of these traits.

-explaining the human phenotype -adpating to specific eco-niches large long nose- cold weather short flat nose- warm weather

14. How did domestication of plants OR animals occur? What physical/morphological changes happened and how were people thinking about it?

-human interference with reproduction of another species plant domestication -opportunistic (most productive plants get selected for ) -intentional (purposefully planted and selecting traits) AFTER DOMESTICATION : larger, grains stay on, outside normal environment, changes in pollen animal domestication -opportunistic -earliest were dogs -intentional is a mobile food source AFTER DOMESTICATION: -smaller -outside natural environment -morphological -increased population -abnormal sex/age ratio

8. What are the four trends of hominin evolution? Discuss which trends happen and when (not necessarily specific dates, but relative to each other in chronological order). Use species names as examples.

1. bipedalism Ardipithecus 2. dental changes Reduced jaw size and altered shape Change in teeth because of changing in diets Australopithecines 3. cranial capacity expanding area in cranium brain/body ration increased over time Homo genus 4. material culture More objects made over time homo floresienies

7. List each of the five australopithecines discussed in the class lectures. Note: you do not have to describe each one; it is sufficient to provide a list.

A. Anamensis A. afarensis A. boisei A. robustus A. Africanus

Discuss the importance of the two methods of dating used by archaeologists to understand the past. Provide an example for each of the methods.

Absolute (provides a numerical age) and relative dating (places events in order). It is important to to have these dating methods especially when studying things like evolution. Without a dating method, we would have no way to study evolutionary order, which would create a confused jumble. Examples: absolute molecular mtDNA (counting mutations) Relative stratigraphy (how earth sediments deposited over time)

3. Why do biological anthropologists study non-human primates from the past? Who are the living primates who are most closely related to us and how do they inform us about human evolution?

Although they are not human, since we evolved from the non-human primates, we can understand humans more when studying them. We can see how our traits have changed over time and what is the cause of this change. Studying this might help us predict how we will continue to evolve in the future. The living primates most closely related to us are chimps. We can see how we have evolved similarly and differently from them.

6. Given the significance of bipedalism in terms of hominin evolution and human attributes, think about what you learned in class as well as the textbook. Give 3 biological changes and 2 behavioral explanations for its evolutionary advantage.

Biological: solar protection & can move quicker Behavioral: see predators well so they are less likely to die & they are better fit for the habitat that they live in (wooded forests)

15. What are some of the factors (consequences and the benefits) that various people around 10-12,000 years ago throughout the world could have reacted to when deciding to both create and adopt new adaptive strategies of domestication and sedentism?

CONSEQUENCES 1)population change- large population increase 2) environmental degradation-agriculture changes the environment 3) insecure food supply- greater susceptibility to disasters BENEFITS 1)Farmers needed less land than a hunter-gatherer 2)Farmers have a more predictable food source 3)Farming was less damaging to the body (less violent deaths and longer life-spans)

18. Archaeologists have given at least five different explanations about why and how complex societies arose. Please briefly describe and name one of those explanations and provide a name of a Early State culture or region from the lectures or your readings that fits the theory.

Charismatic leaders: attract followers to where they are and follow them and settle into a societies, increasing populations, function based on that leader who they follow based on their divine traits

16. What are the two primary determinants that best explain the Neolithic changes leading to domestication and sedentism as a global phenomenon and how did they shape the direction of these cultural changes?

Environmental determinants: receding ice age and warming climates Social determinants: population size, social networking opportunities

10. What is the eco-niche that Homo erectus first adapted to? Discuss at least 4 environmental, adaptive, anatomical, or behavioral factors that may be relevant to being successful in this eco-niche.

First homimins outside of Africa Increased bipedalism Larger, more robust Increased cranial capacity Smaller teeth Increased sexual dimorphism

9. Briefly discuss the three different paths of hominin evolution. Describe each path separately by discussing where it was happening and how the evolving species are marked by the four hominin evolutionary trends as well as naming as many species as you can.

First path: Started in east Africa with gracile body types A. Anamensis A. Afarensis A. Boisei a. Goes extinct Robust body type - big skeletal build gets selected for Second path: Started in south Africa A. Afarensis -- population moved south Gracile body type - light skeletal build selected for A. Africanus A. Robustus a. Goes extinct Robust body type - big skeletal build selected for again Third evolutionary path: Started in east Africa A. Afarensis

2. Think about how we put fossil primates and hominins into evolutionary order. What is the difference between homologies and analogies and what are the dating methods used?

Homologies: traits inherited from a common ancestor Analogies: adaptive traits due to convergent evolution

11. Given the first discussion we had in class for this unit, how does thinking about species hybridization help us better understand hominin evolution?

It allows us to understand that animals from the genus can mate and produce offspring, despite not being of the same species. This is how evolution has allowed us to create new traits over time that are more efficient in the environments we live in.

13. Using your knowledge from the textbook and lecture, discuss why race is a discredited idea in biology. Use examples to make your points.

Race is a cultural construction of categories NOT a scientific biological categorical system There is human variation between race but often there is more human variation within a race than between races

5. Discuss two BIOLOGICAL traits that are shared by humans and other apes and that are distinct from monkeys and other primates (do NOT discuss behaviorial traits).

body size tends to be larger and they don't have a tail

19. Discuss one of the key attributes of the Early State that were discussed in your textbook and class. Briefly describe why you think that the attribute is unique to states and NOT in egalitarian and ranked societies.

stratified: clear distinctions and differences of people in societies; some have more some have less: leaders at top egalitarian - no social hierarchy ranked - very little social hierarchy