Anthropology 250 Practice Final - UVic 2017 Fall
Which of the following is true of gorillas? a) They are knuckle walkers. b) Their arms are shorter than their legs. c) They walk bipedally most of the time. d) all of the above are true
A) Both gorillas and chimpanzees usually walk and run quadrupedally. They fold their fingers under so that they actually are supported by their knuckles, but their feet are flat.
Which of the following statements is true of the first convincing evidence of fire use by humans? a) It was associated with Homo erectus. b) It was associated with Homo habilis. c) It was about 1.5 million years ago. d) It was about 100,000 years ago.
A) By 780,000-400,000 year ago, some late Homo erectus had begun cooking meat and probably vegetable foods in fires that they had started. This would have been an important tool in migrations to the colder temperate regions of Eurasia.
Which of the following statements is true concerning culture? a) It can affect the direction of human biological evolution. b) It has no effect on human biological evolution. c) Since culture is in our minds, it leaves no evidence for paleoanthropologists to dig up.
A) Culture can do this by creating non-biological solutions to environmental stresses. This potentially reduces the need to evolve genetic responses to the stresses. This largely explains why people in cold regions aren`t covered all over with dense hair.
Some of the New World monkeys: a) have prehensile tails b) 2.1.2.3 dental formulas c) ischial callosities d) none of the above
A) Some of the larger New World monkeys have tails that are muscular enough to be capable of holding onto branches and supporting their bodies. In a sense, this makes them 5 handed animals.
All of the Old World monkeys are in the suborder: a) Platyrrhini b) Cercopithecinae c) Catarrhini
All Old World monkeys along with the apes and humans are members of the suborder Catarrhini.
The Australopithicus boisei fossil found by Louis and Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in 1959 was anatomically closest to which early South African hominin? a) Australopithecus africanus b) Paranthropus robustus c) Homo habilis
B) Paranthropus boisei was essentially a super robust species of paranthropoids. Robustus was similar in appearance to boisei and probably was a close relative.
Which of the following species of australopithecines are generally not considered to be gracile forms? a) afarensis and africanus b) anamensis and afarensis c) robustus and boisei d) africanus and boisei
C) Both robustus and boisei along with aethiopicus were robust species of australopithecines. They had sagittal crests and other traits that generally were not shared by the gracile australopithecines and later humans.
How many ice ages were their during the Pleistocene Epoch? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 or more
C) Glacial Ice core samples and geological strata indicate that there were at least 4 Pleistocene ice ages and very likely a few more.
The last ice age ended about how many years ago? a) 40,000 b) 20,000 c) 10,000 d) 1,000
C) The glaciers began their last major melt about 15-12,000 years ago. By 10,000 years ago, they were sufficiently gone to mark the end of the ice age.
Traits that exhibit continuous variation, such as eye colour, and are influenced by genes at two or more loci, are known as _______________ traits.
Continuous
The unit of inheritance is the _______________.
Gene
The tiny limb bones found in whales and the human appendix are examples of _______________ organs.
Vestigial
Compared to the Pliocene Epoch, the Pleistocene climate was. a) about the same b) warmer c) colder
C) The Pleistocene was mostly a period of much colder weather which resulted in a number of ice ages.
Which of the following monkeys are native to South and East Asia? a) baboons b) guenons c) macaques d) all of the above
C) The macaques are the most successful members of the subfamily Cercopithecinae since they have the widest range. They are found in Africa, the Rock of Gibraltar in Southern Europe, and widely spread throughout South and East Asia.
Which of the following statements is true of human evolution? a) All parts of the human body evolved simultaneously into our modern form. b) The human brain increased to the modern size by 2.5 million years ago. c) There was a period of little or no growth in the human brain size beginning around 1.8 million years ago, lasting until about 800,000 years ago.
C) There was relatively little change until about 800,000-700,000 years ago. Then human brain size began to grow rapidly again. This growth trend continued until around l00,000 years ago, when our brains reached their present size.
Tim White and several of his Ethiopian colleagues found a 4.4 million year old hominin known as Ardipithecus ramidus at the Aramis site in the Middle Awash region of Northern Ethiopia. Which of the following statements is true about this species? a) They were probably the ancestors of the early australopithecines. b) They were the ape ancestors of chimpanzees. c) They were quadrupedal like chimpanzees and gorillas. d) all of the above
A) Ardipithecus ramidus is currently the best candidate for being the immediate ancestors of the australopithecines.
Which of the following statements is true of the Neanderthals? a) They hunted big game animals rather than only scavenged dead ones. b) At times, they ate each other. c) They intentionally buried their own dead. d) all of the above
D) All of the above
Which of the following animals is not a primate? a) humans b) apes c) monkeys d) all are primates
D) The Order Primates includes people, apes, monkeys, and some related animals such as lemurs.
Natural selection cannot occur without _______________ in heritable traits.
Variation
Which of the following was true of the Neandertals? a) They created open-air camps with temporary shelters. b) They lived deep in caves and did not have open-air camps. c) Because they cooked their meat, Neanderthals lost much of the nutrient value in it. As a consequence, they had to consume far more of it in order to survive.
A) Neanderthals also regularly occupied the mouths of caves and rock shelters when they were available. Their openings often faced to the south, providing greater exposure to the sun for light and warmth. This would have been particularly advantageous in the winter.
Which of the following statements is true of primates? a) Compared to most other animals, primates have unusually large brain to body size ratios. b) No primate other than humans can see themselves in a mirror. c) Their relatively great intelligence is a result of nature selecting for tool making ability.
A) Not surprisingly primates are also relatively intelligent animals. However, high brain to body size ratios don`t always indicate intelligence since hummingbirds have a very high ratio also.
Many prosimian species, such as lemurs, communicate with each other by using olfactory sense signals. What does this mean? a) They indicate their presence with odors. b) They inform each other where they are in the forest with sounds. c) They affect each other's emotional states by grooming.
A) Olfactory refers to the sense of smell. With their efficient noses, most prosimians can detect very faint odors. They often mark their territories with distinct smelling chemicals produced by specialized glands. Some monkeys do the same with urine.
Which of the following statements is true of Homo erectus evolution? a) They remained largely unchanged anatomically until about 800.000-600,000 years ago. b) Their brain size increased progressively beginning before 1 million years ago on up until they evolved into modern humans. c) neither of the above
A) Over most of the time of Homo erectus, they changed very little. It wasn`t until late Homo erectus (around 800,000-600,000 years ago) that their brain size began to increase significantly. Below the neck, they remained essentially the same even after that time.
Which of the following statements is true about the lemurs and lorises? a) They have also been called prosimians and pre-monkeys. b) They only live in tropical forest areas of Central and South America. c) Today they are found only in the New World. d) b and c
A) Prosimian means before the simians, or monkeys. They also have been referred to as the lower primates because their suborder (Strepsirrhini) was the first to evolve.
The first australopithecine discovery (i.e., the Taung child) was classified as: a) Australopithecus africanus b) Paranthropus robustus c) Australopithecus afarensis
A) Raymond Dart gave the Taung child the genus and species names Australopithecus africanus (literally southern ape from Africa). In fact, this was a misnomer since it was an early hominin rather than an ape.
The Paleolithic has been divided into three successive stages of development based on sophistication of technology. Which one is the oldest? a) Lower Paleolithic b) Upper Paleolithic c) Primolithic
A) The Lower Paleolithic began with the first stone tools about 2.5-2.4 million years ago. It ended sometime after 100,000 years ago with the invention of more capable tool making techniques of the Middle Paleolithic. Later still was the Upper Paleolithic.
The first known discovery of a Homo erectus was in _________ during the 1890's. a) Sumatra and Java b) North China c) East Africa
A) The discoveries by Eugene Dubois in Sumatra and Java (then Dutch East Indies) during the early 1890`s were the first known Homo erectus fossils. He later named them Pithecanthropus erectus.
Which of the following is most likely to have been our ancestor? a) Australopithecus afarensis b) Australopithecus boisei c) Australopithecus aethiopicus
A) The first humans apparently were descended from the gracile australopithecines rather than the more robust ones that evolved later. It is thought that Australopithecus afarensis and possibly early Australopithecus africanus and/or Australopithecus garhi were our ancestors.
Brachiation is a means of locomotion in which an animal: a) swings under branches using its hands b) walks or runs on top of branches c) leaps from branch to branch much like a frog
A) The small Asian apes are particularly good brachiators. Some of the New World monkeys in the family Cebidae are also reasonably efficient at it. Chimpanzees and small orangutans are somewhat less adept brachiators. Adult gorillas are too heavy to brachiate.
In the early 1970's, Mary Leakey and Tim White found bones of what were likely Australopithecus afarensis dating in the range 3.7-3.5 million years ago at a site in Northern Tanzania named Laetoli. What else did they find there? a) footprints of these early hominins b) stone tools made by these early hominins c) evidence of regular fire use
A) There were footprints of 3 bipedal hominins (presumably afarensis) in a now hardened volcanic ash layer. They walked in 2 close parallel tracks. These footprints look almost like those of modern humans.
What commonly happened to the size of mammal bodies during the colder periods of the Pleistocene Epoch? a) They got larger. b) They remained the same. c) They got smaller.
A) They got larger through natural selection in response to colder conditions. More massive bodies produce and retain heat better than do small ones according to Bergmann`s rule. The large ice age animals are referred to as a megafauna.
The first australopithecine fossil to be recognized as being something other than an ape was: a) the Taung child b) reported by Louis Leakey c) discovered in the 1890's d) none of the above
A) This 3-4 year old South African australopithecine was analyzed by Raymond Dart in 1924. He stood nearly alone in the scientific world for more than a decade claiming that this was one of our ancestors.
Paranthropus robustus differed from Australopithecus africanus in that the former: a) often had a prominent sagittal crest b) lived only in East Africa, while africanus lived only in South Africa c) were smaller boned and more slender
A) Unlike africanus, robustus usually had a sagittal crest (i.e., a ridge of bone extending from front to back along the midline of the top of the skull). A sagittal crest serves as an anchor attachment for exceptionally large, strong jaw muscles.
Which of the following statements is true of the australopithecines? a) They are members of our biological tribe of primates. b) They evolved about the same time as humans. c) They were habitually quadrupedal
A) We are both hominins, or members of the tribe Hominini. We share a common African ape ancestor and a bipedal mode of locomotion with the australopithecines.
___________ refers to the sense of smell. a) olfactory b) bipedal c) gustatory d) auditory
A) With their relatively small noses, humans, apes, and monkeys have a much poorer smelling capability than do the lemurs and other more primitive primates.
If someone living in a coastal area goes to a high-altitude area, that person's body will begin to adjust and respond to the environmental change relatively rapidly. This process of rapid physiological adjustment is called _______________.
Acclimatization
The alternative form of a gene is called an _______________.
Allele
The first convincing evidence of regular human fire use dates to ____________ years ago. a) 1.5 million b) 400,000 c) 40,000
B) At the Zhoukoudian site in China and the Terra Amata site in France, food refuse bones were charred, presumably from cooking by at least 400,000 years ago and possibly as early as 780,000 years ago. It is likely that these late transitional Homo erectus or early archaic humans controlled fire.
Binocular vision is necessary for: a) mutual grooming b) three dimensional depth perception c) quadrupedal locomotion d) all of the above
B) Binocular means seeing with two eyes. Being able to see an object with an overlapping field of view from two eyes is necessary for true three dimensional, or stereoscopic, vision.
Which of the following is out of chronological order (listed from oldest to most recent)? a) Australopithecus anamensis b) Australopithecus boisei c) Australopithecus afarensis d) Australopithecus africanus e) none of the above
B) Boisei was the last of these 4 species to evolve. It lived about 2.4-1.4 million years ago in East Africa. The correct order is anamensis, afarensis, africanus, and boisei. Look at the other answers to see the time ranges for the other species.
The Classic Neanderthals lived ________________ years ago. a) 460,000-410,000 b) 130,000-28,000 c) 20,000-10,000
B) Clearly recognizable Classic Neanderthals appear in the fossil record by 130,000 years ago. However, Neanderthal-like traits appeared possibly as early as 400,000 years ago. The last Neanderthals apparently died off by 28,000 years ago or slightly later.
Among primates, which of the following are most likely to form large communities? a) nocturnal species b) semi-terrestrial species c) arboreal species that predominantly eat tree leaves
B) For semi-terrestrial species, such as baboons, being in a large community helps provide protection against predatory cats, dogs, and hyenas. It also helps protect limited food resources. This is especially true when the food is fruit.
The Homo erectus brain averaged about _______ cubic centimeters in size. a) 631 b) 930 c) 1300-1400 d) 3000-3200
B) Homo erectus cranial sizes ranged from about 750 to 1250 cubic centimeters with an average of about 930. The oldest fossils generally had the smallest brains. The large brained late fossils are classified by some researchers as another species.
Which of the following evidence has been put forward recently in support of the contention that Neandertals were members of the same species as Homo sapiens? a) The fact that there are no anatomical differences between modern humans and Neandertalss b) The discovery that 1-4% of the DNA in modern Europeans and Asians came from Neandertal c) neither of the above
B) In addition to the new DNA data indicating that Neandertals and Homo sapiens were able to successfully interbreed, several late Neandertal skeletons have been found that have anatomical characteristics that imply they were hybrids between Homo sapiens and Neandertals. This all suggests that Neandertals were not a separate species but rather only a different variety of Homo sapiens.
The smallest and most arboreal apes are the ______________. They are also the best brachiators.
B) Most gibbons are only about 3 feet (90 cm.) tall and weigh 12-20 pounds (5.5-9 kg.). Their small size helps to make them the best primate brachiators. They have been observed swinging from branch to branch 20 feet (6 m.) at a time. 90% of their locomotion is by brachiation.
Compared to modern Europeans, Neandertals were generally: a) taller b) heavier boned and more muscular c) less able to walk bipedally d) a and b
B) On average, Neanderthals were heavier for their height, stronger, and more flexible than us. However, they were not beyond the range of modern humans in these characteristics.
______________ is the mating pattern in which one male mates with a group of females that form a single family. a) monogamy b) polygyny c) polyandry
B) Polygyny is not a promiscuous mating pattern. Rather, the male and his female mates typically form a distinct mating and child rearing group.
Compared to the common chimpanzees, bonobos: a) are more aggressive b) copulate frequently and use sexual intercourse as recreation c) live in both forests and grasslands
B) Sex for bonobos is used as a friendly gesture and as a form of recreation in which both young and old participate. This takes the form of both heterosexual and homosexual activity. Parents even initiate their young children in sexual intercourse.
The fossils of early transitional humans have been found in which of the following areas? a) throughout all of Africa b) South and East Africa c) North Africa
B) So far, they have been found only in South and East Africa, but there is not universal agreement as to whether all of these fossils were from Homo habilis.
A sacculated stomach allows an animal to: a) go long periods without water b) live on low nutrient, high cellulose plant food such as leaves c) live on a purely meat diet
B) The Colobinae (colobus, langurs, and proboscis) stomachs are divided into sack-like compartments. This allows plant cellulose to be broken down by bacteria more efficiently. They also have unusually long intestines which increase nutrient absorption.
The brain size of australopithecines was about _______ that of ours. a) 1/4 b) 1/3 c) 1/2 d) 3/4
B) The brain size of most early hominids was within the range of modern chimpanzees but far below that of humans. The cranial capacity of adult australopithecines was about 390-545 c.c. The average for modern humans is around 1345 c.c.
Which of the following statements best characterize the evolutionary dividing line between Homo erectus and modern humans? a) The transition occurred rapidly, over a few thousand years. b) It began by 800,000-700,000 years ago. c) There was no transition since Homo erectus were early modern humans.
B) The changes leading to modern humans began in Southern Europe and East Africa around that time. Elsewhere, this change began by 400,000 years ago or a bit earlier. The transition was not complete until about 100,000 years ago.
The first humans appeared about _______ million years ago. a) 3.5 b) 2.4 c) 1.0 d) .5
B) The earliest members of our genus Homo evolved from late australopithecines by about 2.4 million years ago or a bit earlier.
By 3 million years ago, the australopithecines were: a) nearly extinct in Africa but were common in Southeast Asia b) becoming common in East and South Africa c) beginning to successfully adapt to cold temperate environments in Europe d) none of the above
B) The fossil record indicates that the australopithecines were relatively common by 3 million years ago in East and South Africa. They apparently were also present in parts of North Central Africa as well.
Which of the following species had teeth that were the most similar to our own? a) Australopithecus afarensis b) Australopithecus africanus c) Australopithecus robustus
B) The front teeth of africanus were relatively large like ours and their canine teeth did not project beyond the others. Microscopic wear patterns on africanus teeth suggest a diet consisting of relatively soft foods like us.
The robust species of early hominins are commonly assigned to the genus ______________ . a) Homo b) Paranthropus c) Ardipithecus
B) The paranthropoids were generally more muscular species (robustus, boisei, and aethiopicus) of early hominins. They are not thought to be our ancestors but, rather, species in an extinct evolutionary sideline. Some researchers lump them into the genus Australopithecus.
The brain size of the early humans: a) was partly within the range of adult chimpanzees b) was partly within the range of adult australopithecines c) was partly within the range of both chimpanzees and australopithecines d) was entirely above the range of both chimpanzees and australopithecines
B) The range of Homo habilis brain sizes was 509-752 cubic centimeters, while the range of the australopithecines was 390-545 cubic centimeters. Therefore, some of the early humans had brain sizes within the upper end of the australopithecine range.
Which of the following statements is true of Homo erectus? a) Homo erectus men averaged about 6 feet tall. b) They were anatomically like modern humans below the neck. c) They were primarily quadrupedal.
B) Their pelvis, leg, and foot bones were essentially the same as modern people in shape and relative proportions. However, the Homo erectus brain was significantly smaller and their foreheads were shallow, sloping back from very prominent brow ridges.
The strong primate collar bones (clavicles) and flexible shoulder joints are adapted primarily for: a) running rapidly b) climbing in trees c) swimming d) none of the above
B) These anatomical traits, along with a relatively flat front to back profile of the torso, are typical adaptations for tree-living animals who hang from their arms. These characteristics are well developed in many primate species.
The New World monkeys: a) are members of the parvorder Catarrhini b) have relatively flat noses with somewhat sideways projecting nostrils separated by a wide septum c) have the same numbers of each type of tooth as the Old World monkeys d) all of the above
B) This is the typical platyrrhine nose. It is one of the easiest to spot of all of the characteristics that distinguish New World monkeys from Old World ones.
The Neanderthals apparently were the first humans to: a) adapt to subarctic conditions b) make stone tipped spears for hunting c) paint animals on the walls of caves d) a and b e) none of the above
D) The Neanderthals successfully adapted to ice age conditions in Europe. Using stone tipped spears allowed them to hunt larger animals more successfully. However, there is no evidence of them painting animals on the walls of caves.
The earliest australopithecines evolved from apes about ________ million years ago. a) 1-2 b) 2-3 c) 3-3.5 d) 4-5
D) The earliest known species of australopithecines (Australopithecus anamensis) evolved by about 4.2 million years ago. Their ancestor was probably the transitional genus known as Ardipithecus.
Raymond Dart concluded that the Taung child was a bipedal animal because a) it had a brain as large as humans b) it had hip and leg bones that looked like those of modern people c) it was found in association with the bones of early humans d) none of the above
D) The fact that the foramen magnum pointed downward and was nearly at the central balance point of the skull (like humans but unlike apes) and that the canine teeth were relatively short (unlike apes), suggested that the Taung child was bipedal like us.
Which of the following statements is true about lemurs? a) The various species range in size from that of a mouse to a large domesticated cat. b) Most species are nocturnal. c) Some of them mark territory with scent. d) all of the above
D) The smaller ones are generally the most nocturnal and solitary. At the other extreme are the ring-tailed lemurs which are relatively big, diurnal, and live in large social groups. Lemurs have moist noses like dogs and mark territory with their scent.
In the Catarrhini dental formula, 2.1.2.3, the numbers refer to: a) the relative length of teeth b) the total number of teeth in the mouth c) the number of each type of tooth in one quadrant of the mouth d) none of the above
C) 2.1.2.3 is shorthand for 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars, and 3 molars. This adds up to 8 teeth per quadrant and 32 for the entire mouth. Many humans only have 28 teeth because they have had their 3rd molars (i.e., their wisdom teeth) removed.
Which of the following statements is true concerning primates? a) No primates have prehensile feet. b) 70% of primates have prehensile feet. c) All primates except humans have prehensile feet. d) All primates have prehensile feet.
C) All primates except humans are capable of holding and manipulating objects efficiently with their feet. Human toes are too short and lack the opposability necessary to effectively grasp most objects.
How do animals adapt to their environments? a) with genetically inherited behavioral patterns b) with learned behavioral patterns c) both of the above d) none of the above
C) Animals may adapt in either of these ways. The more intelligent animals, such as primates, primarily adapt with non-instinctive, learned behavior patterns. Insects and other simpler organisms adapt almost exclusively with innate behavioral patterns.
Which of the following statements is true of the earliest modern Homo sapiens? a) They first began to appear about 350,000 years ago in Africa. b) Their ancestors were the Neandertals. c) Their technologies were similar to those of early Neandertals. d) all of the above
C) Both the Neanderthals and the first modern humans had essentially the same tool making technologies. Homo sapiens technologies generally did not surpass those of the Neanderthals until after 75,000 years ago.
Which of the following statements is true? a) The australopithecines and early humans were sexually dimorphic but modern humans are not. b) Australopithecines were usually taller than modern humans. c) All australopithecine species had relatively large concave faces. d) b and c
C) Compared to there relatively small brain cases, australopithecine faces were large, concave, and projecting forward at the mouth.
Which of the following is an advantage of living in a group for non-human primates. a) The young can learn survival skills from experienced, knowledgeable adults in the community. b) It is easier to avoid being eaten by predators. c) It is easier to acquire food. d) all of the above
D) While primate instinctive survival skills are minimal, their social skills are unusually effective. Look at the other answers for further explanations.
The first modern Homo sapiens in Southwest Asia date to around 100,000 years ago or slightly earlier. When did they first appear in the fossil record of East Asia and Europe? a) 250,000 years ago b) 100,000 years ago c) 60,000-40,000 years ago d) 30,000-15,000 years ago
C) Current fossil evidence indicates that the first modern people were in Southeast Asia by 60,000 years ago or a bit earlier and in Europe by 40,000 years ago (during a short warming period of the last ice age when life became easier in the northern hemisphere).
Which of the following anatomical changes were occurring in early transitional humans at the same time that their brains were getting larger? a) Their teeth were getting larger. b) Their skin color was becoming lighter. c) Their mouths were getting larger. d) a and c e) none of the above
E) None of the above
Which of the following statements is true about the New World monkeys? a) Most of them are omnivorous with a substantial part of their diet being meat from small rodents, monkeys, and birds. b) Some of them are semi-terrestrial. c) They live in the forests and grasslands of Central and South America d) b and c e) none of the above
E) They are primarily herbivorous and arboreal, though they do eat meat from small helpless creatures occasionally and some do come down to the ground for very short periods. Their habitat is the warm, humid tropical forests of Central and South America.
Both the regional continuity and the replacement models of modern human evolution accept that: a) all humans have their ultimate roots in Africa b) The immediate ancestor of modern humans were archaic Homo sapiens c) a and b d) none of the above
C) From the regional continuity view, our last common ancestor was an African Homo erectus. With the replacement model our last common ancestor was an African modern Homo sapiens. In both models archaic Homo sapiens are seen as ancestral to modern humans.
Which of the following statements is true of Neandertals? a) Their brains were smaller on average than the brains of modern humans. b) They had pointed chins like most modern Homo sapiens. c) They had relatively large brow ridges and noses.
C) In addition, their heads were long (from front to back) compared to ours. This resulted in low, sloping foreheads. Earlier researchers incorrectly assumed that this meant Neanderthals had small brains.
Which of the following statements is true of the australopithecines that were living 3 million years ago? a) They were not yet bipedal b) The bones of their pelvis looked more like those of apes than humans. c) Their leg and foot bones were much more similar to ours than to apes.
C) Late australopithecine feet and legs were very similar to ours. In fact, their entire skeleton below the neck was far more similar to humans than to apes. As a result, it is likely that they were bipedal like us.
Based on the extent and diversity of natural habitats, what is the most biologically successful monkey? a) marmosets b) baboons c) macaques
C) Macaques live in Africa, Asia, and, in the past, in Southern Europe. The fact that they occupy tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones as well as forests, grasslands, deserts, and sea shores is a clear indication of their adaptability and success.
When you hold a pencil while writing, you are using a ____________ grip. a) power b) pentadactyl c) precision
C) Most people normally hold a pencil by pinching it between your forefingers and thumb. In contrast, a power grip would be used to hold a larger object such as an axe handle.
The early tool making traditions are often referred to as being paleolithic. What does "paleolithic" literally mean? a) technologically simple b) stone tool c) old stone
C) Paleo means old and lithic means rock or stone. Paleolithic technology was relatively simple. However, not all paleolithic artifacts were made of stone--some were made of antler, bone, horn, wood, or other more perishable materials.
Which of the following physical traits are characteristic of modern humans but not of Neandertals? a) heavy, protruding brow ridges b) low, sloping forehead c) pointed chins
C) Projecting, bony chins are typical of modern humans. However, they were absent from all earlier humans, including Neanderthals.
Which of the following statements is true of non-human primates? a) Most species shape their environment in an adaptive way--they modify the environment so that it is easier for them to live. b) Among most species, there is active, planned cooperation in acquiring food. c) Chimpanzees have been observed using tools to help in acquiring food and water.
C) Some chimpanzees strip the leaves from twigs to make probes for termites and ants. Others use rocks and tree branches to crack nuts. These and other chimpanzee tools are very simple since they are only slightly modified from nature.
The Order Primates is divided into which of the following suborders? a) Chondricthyes and Osteichthyes b) Lorisiformes and Lemuriformes c) Strepsirrhini and Haplorrhini d) Prosimii, apes, and humans
C) The Strepsirrhini (primates with wet noses) include the lemurs, lorises, and related animals. All of the monkeys, apes, and humans are Haplorrhini (primates with dry noses). The Strepsirrhini are also known as prosimians.
The Order Primates includes about how many living species? a) 10 b) 77 c) 190 d) 556
C) The actual number of species is probably somewhat higher than 190 since possible new ones are found every few years.
Prior to the 1890's, the oldest known humans were: a) Homo habilis in Africa b) australopithecines in Africa c) Neandertals in Europe
C) The first known Neandertals had been found in Europe early in the 19th century. By the 1890`s, they were well known as ice age cave men and were thought to be ancestors of modern humans. Older fossil humans were still unknown.
The first discoveries of Neandertal fossils were in: a) Germany in 1856 b) England in the 1880's c) several Western Europe countries during the early 1800's.
C) The first known Neanderthal discoveries were made beginning in the 1820`s. However, it wasn`t until the early 1860`s that they were recognised as being from a prehistoric human species. This fact was widely accepted finally by the 1880`s.
Which of the following statements is true of Homo erectus? a) They were efficient, specialized big game hunters. b) There were about 6 billion of them in the world. c) They were the first species in our line of evolution to expand their range into temperate climatic zones. d) none of the above
C) This expansion into colder regions, by about 1/2 million years ago, was made possible mainly by the success of new inventions and new subsistence strategies. The greatest difficulty probably was not the cold but obtaining vegetable foods in the winter.
Which of the following characteristics is not shared by all primates? a) binocular vision b) three dimensional depth perception c) colour vision like humans
C) While humans, apes, and some monkeys can see the full range of colors, lemurs and most of the other more primitive primates cannot.
The natural habitat of lemurs today is limited to the tropical forests of: a) South Asia and neighboring islands b) South and Central Africa c) Madagascar and neighboring islands
C) he indris, avahis, sifakas, aye-ayes, and true lemurs live in the wild only on these islands where they do not have to compete with the more advanced monkeys and apes. Millions of years ago, lemurs lived in tropical forests throughout the world.
Which of the following primate species are monogamous in mating and regularly live in nuclear family groups? a) gibbons b) chimpanzees c) gorillas d) all of the above
Gibbons live in small family groups consisting of a mating pair of adults and their juvenile children. Both chimpanzees and gorillas normally live in larger social groups, and they usually do not mate monogamously.
When some paleoanthropologists classify Neandertals as Homo neanderthalensis, they are implying that these people were: a) in a different species from modern humans b) a different variety of modern humans c) not humans
However, keep in mind that there is an ongoing debate as to whether Neanderthals were a separate species or only a different variety. From the latter approach, they would be Homo sapiens neanderthalensis while we would be Homo sapiens sapiens.
The combination of an individual's genotype and the environment in which they live makes up their _______________.
Phenotype
In which of the following social group types are adult females most likely to periodically leave their community and join a new one? a) monogamous b) one-male-several-female c) fission-fusion
This typical chimpanzee social group pattern is atypical for primates in that it is the females rather than the males that leave the community to join another one.
When a hand grip is formed by partial bending or flexing of the fingers and the palm, sometimes with counter force applied by the thumb, it is a: a) power grip b) precision grip c) digit
A) A power grip is used by monkeys, apes, and people to get a strong, secure grasp, as when using a hammer or hanging from a tree branch. It would not normally be used for precision manipulation of small objects.
In 1995, Meave Leakey found a new, very early australopithecine species at Lake Turkana , Kenya which she named Australopithecus anamensis. Which of the following statements describe this fossil? a) It was transitional between apes and later australopithecines. b) It was really the same species as Australopithecus africanus. c) It was very likely the only australopithecine ancestor of humans.
A) Australopithecus anamensis teeth, in particular, seem transitional from apes. This is not surprising since this species lived 4.2-3.9 million years ago. Its ancestor may have been a species in the genus Ardipithecus.
Why weren't the Neandertal fossils recognized as the bones of an earlier form of human until the 1860's? a) The concept of evolution was not widely accepted by scientists until then. b) The existence of the bones was kept secret until then. c) Charles Darwin was strongly opposed to the idea.
A) Before Darwin`s 1859 book on natural selection and its wide acceptance in the 1860`s, the possibility of human evolution and the existence of prehistoric humans was generally not even considered by most scientists.
What generally happened to the size of human bodies as they evolved in response to the climate changes of the Pleistocene Epoch? a) They got larger. b) They remained the same. c) They got smaller.
A) Beginning with Homo erectus, our ancestors generally became taller and more massive. Homo habilis lived mostly during the late Pliocene Epoch and had bodies that were similar to the late gracile australopithecines.
______________________ refers to sources of food and the way it is obtained. a) subsistence pattern b) soft hammer technique c) biocultural evolution
A) Evidence of changing human subsistence patterns, or subsistence bases, provides a record of the progressive developments of new food getting techniques and the inclusion of new food sources, especially over the last 1/2 million years.
In which of the following models of evolution is it proposed that all modern Homo sapiens share relatively modern African ancestry and that all other lines of humans that had descended from Homo erectus became extinct? a) replacement model b) regional continuity model c) neither of the above
A) From this view, the regional anatomical differences that we see among humans today are recent developments--evolving only in the last 50,000-40,000 years. This hypothesis is also referred to as the out of Africa and the Noah`s ark model.
The La Chapelle-aux-Saints man was a: a) 40-50 year old man who had severe crippling arthritis that would have made walking difficult b) Neandertal dwarf buried in Shanidar Cave, Northern Iraq c) cannibal victim found in Moula-Guercy Cave, France
A) His last years were made possible only because others provided food and protection for him. This shows that Neanderthal culture and social organization were developed to the point that community members unable to provide for themselves were cared for.
The geological epoch during which all human species, beginning with Homo erectus, evolved. a) Pleistocene b) Pliocene c) Holocene d) Paleocene
A) Homo erectus first appeared about 1.9 million years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch (2,600,000-11,700 years ago). The only human species earlier than this was Homo habilis. They began to evolve during the transition between the late Pliocene and the early Pleistocene Epochs.
Which of the following statements is true of Homo habilis? a) They were in a different genus from the australopithecines. b) They were in a different biological tribe from the australopithecines. c) They were significantly heavier and taller than the late australopithecines. d) a and b e) all of the above
A) Homo habilis was in our genus Homo while the australopithecines were in the genus Australopithecus. However, both genera are closely related.
Davidson Black was a Canadian anatomy professor who was partly responsible for the first discovery of Homo erectus fossils in: a) China b) Africa c) Europe
A) In 1927, Davidson Black identified a molar tooth excavated from a limestone quarry at Zhoukoudian, near Beijing as being from a Sinanthropus pekinensis (or Homo erectus). Later, the bones of 40 individual Homo erectus were found there.
A nearly complete Neandertal skeleton was discovered at La Chapelle-aux-Saints, France in 1908 and analyzed by Marcellin Boule from 1911 to 1913. Which of the following statements is true of that find? a) It resulted in nearly half a century of incorrect assumptions about Neandertals. b) It was misinterpreted to be a relatively modern human, possibly an old Roman. c) It was really a woman who had very likely died in child birth.
A) Marcellin Boule`s prejudices got in the way of scientific objectivity. He incorrectly described the La Chapelle-aux-Saints man, and subsequently all Neanderthals, as dull-witted, brutish, ape-like creatures who walked hunched over with a shuffling gait.
Primates have: a) long gestation periods for animals of their size b) many offspring at a time--usually two or more c) short natural life spans for animals of their size d) none of the above
A) Most primate species have long pregnancies, or gestation periods. The result is that offspring are born more mature and, therefore, have a greater chance of survival. This gives primates a selective advantage.
The Neanderthals lived mostly in: a) Europe, West Asia, Middle east, and Siberia b) South Africa c) Asia
A)
Which of the following fossils are now considered to be Homo erectus? a) Pithecanthropus erectus b) Sinanthropus pekinensis c) Eugene Dubois d) a and b e) all of the above
D) Pithecanthropus erectus (Java Man) and Sinanthropus pekinensis (Peking Man) are both names used in the past for particular groups Asian Homo erectus fossils.
Which of the following have been suggested as advantages of bipedalism in a tropical grassland environment? a) It provides an advantage in scavenging for food and watching out for predators in open environments. b) It helps to dissipate excess body heat and reduces the absorption of heat from the sun. c) It makes it easier to walk greater distances. d) all of the above
D) All of the above
Which of the following statements is likely to be true concerning Australopithecus aethiopicus? a) They are the earliest known robust species of early hominins. b) They had smaller brains than the other robust species of early hominins. c) They are thought to be a transitional form from an earlier gracile species of australopithecine. d) All of the above
D) All of the above
Which of the following statements is true of marmosets and tamarins? a) Their thumbs are not opposable with the tips of their fingers. b) They have claws on all digits except for their big toes, which have nails. c) They lack the ability to change their facial expressions. d) all of the above
D) Because of these and other characteristics, the Family Callitricidae (marmosets and tamarins) are generally considered to be the most primitive monkeys. That is to say, they are more like their prosimian ancestors than are the other monkeys.
Homo erectus fossils have been found in which of the following regions? (Note: For this and the following questions, Homo erectus is meant to include both Homo ergaster and Homo erectus.) a) East Africa b) South Africa c) South Asia d) all of the above
D) Homo erectus was the first human to occupy not only Africa but also Asia and Europe. What made this possible was probably increased intelligence and the invention of technology that allowed adaptation to new environments beyond the tropics.
In 1974, a team of paleoanthropologists under the direction of Donald Johanson found a 40% complete skeleton of a very early hominin species at the Hadar site in the Afar Desert region of Northern Ethiopia. What was it called? a) Australopithecus anamensis b) Lucy c) Australopithecus afarensis d) b and c
D) Johanson formally named this early species Australopithecus afarensis, but the original skeleton was also nicknamed Lucy. She was a 3 feet 3 inches tall adult with a slender body. She lived 3.2-3.18 million years ago.
Which of the following statements is true of chimpanzee dominance hierarchies? a) The largest and strongest male is at the top of the dominance hierarchy. b) They are mostly formed by the females. The males are not particularly interested in their relative power positions within the community. c) We now know that they do not exist. d) none of the above
D) Non of the above
Which of the following statements is true about the New World monkeys? a) They are all diurnal. b) They all live in small nuclear family groups. c) None of them is larger than a small domestic cat. d) none of the above
D) None of the above
Which of the following statements is true of major Homo erectus fossil sites by 400,000 years ago? a) They usually have only a few stone tools. b) They usually have very little evidence of meat eating. c) They have been found only in tropical regions of the world. d) none of the above
D) None of the above
Which of the following statements is true of the Neanderthals? a) Their technology was not sophisticated enough to allow them to remain in Europe during an ice age. b) They are still living in some areas of Europe. c) They abandoned Europe after 75,000 years ago when the last major ice age began. d) none of the above
D) None of the above
Which of the following statements is true regarding the Neandertals? a) They died out before the first modern humans evolved. b) They were not related to the archaic Homo sapiens. c) They were not related to Homo erectus. d) none of the above
D) None of the above
Old World monkeys are found in which of the following environments? a) tropical forests b) semiarid grasslands c) mountainous regions d) all of the above
D) Old World monkeys are found in a far greater variety of environments than are the New World monkeys, which are limited to tropical forests. Some Old World monkeys have even adapted to the snow bound winter mountains of Japan and to city life in India.
The specific group of animals that caused Darwin to question his views on the fixity of species, and helped him formulate his ideas on natural selection was _______________.
Finches
The natural habitat of apes today includes tropical regions of: a) Central and South America b) Southeast Asia and Africa c) Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa d) both the Old and the New World
The orangutans and gibbons live in Southeast Asia or on nearby islands. Gorillas and chimpanzees live in Central and West Africa. No apes live in Europe or the New World except in zoos or as pets.
