Final (Week 4 - Week 7) Human Origins
What is the oldest fossils of Homo ergaster?
1.9 million years old
A prime example of human symbolic expression is the cave at Lascaux, France, which contains cave art dated to how many years ago?
17,000 years ago
Under the Rapid-replacement Model, when and where did modern Homo sapiens evolve?
195,000 years ago in Africa
The Australopithecus aethiopicus specimen, known as the Black Skull , or KNM-WT 17000, was discovered in Kenya. What is the estimated age for this specimen?
2.5 million years old
The earliest (oldest) evidence of the genus Homo in the hominin fossil record is how old?
2.8 million years old
What is the best age estimate for the common ancestor of all modern humans based on genetic evidence?
200,000 years ago
The Australopithecus afarensis fossil known as "Lucy" is what age?
3.2 million years old
Lucy's species, Australopithecus afarensis, existed between _________ million years ago.
3.9 - 3.0 million years ago
The hominin footprints at Laetoli preserves what evidence?
A human-like foot adapted to bipedalism
What was the first Australopithecus afarensis fossil found at Hadar?
A knee joint
What was the first hominin fossil found at Hadar?
A knee joint
What best describes an evolutionary lineage?
A sequence of species that form a line of descent. Each new species is the direct result of speciation from an immediate ancestral species
In Africa, Homo erectus/ergaster is typically associated with which type of tool industry?
Acheulean
The presence of which molar, but the absence of the other molars, indicated that the Taung child was not an adult?
Adult 1st molar
Lee Berger and his team argue that Australopithecus sediba is what?
Ancestral to Homo
What trait is NOT present in the Taung baby?
Ape-like brow ridge
According to Dr. Johanson, which species directly gave rise to the genus Homo?
Australopithecus afarensis
Evidence from the 3 year old Dikika baby's teeth demonstrate that this specimen was a female. To which species does this specimen belong?
Australopithecus afarensis
The Laetoli footprints are evidence that ______ was a biped.
Australopithecus afarensis
The earliest (oldest) cut marks on bone are known from the same locality as which species?
Australopithecus afarensis
Which species is a potential ancestor to Australopithecus afarensis?
Australopithecus anamensis
Fossils of which species have been discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Lake Turkana, Omo, Peninj, and Konso?
Australopithecus boisei
The Peninj mandible, found in northern Tanzania, belongs to which species?
Australopithecus boisei
The species best characterized by large chewing muscles, a frontal trigon, significant postorbital constriction, a dish-shaped face, and forward zygomatic bones is which of the following?
Australopithecus boisei
Australopithecus afarensis is the likely ancestor of which of the following sets of taxa?
Australopithecus boisei, A. garhi, and Homo
Who was the first to use a tree with branches to illustrate the evolution of species?
Charles Darwin
The compound temporal/nuchal crest present on the crania of Australopithecus afarensis specimens resembles which animal?
Chimpanzees
Who of the following is a famous primatologist that was inspired by LSB Leakey and worked with gorillas?
Dian Fossey
Homo heidelbergensis is characterized by a:
Double-arched brow ridge
Currently, the most ancient Homo sapiens fossils date to approximately 195,000 years ago and are from Omo Kibish in the Omo River valley. Which is in what region in the world?
East Africa
An imprint of the braincase, such as the one found along with the Taung child fossil, is called which of the following?
Endocast
The majority of the Afar Triangle is located in which country?
Ethiopia
Neandertals were initially discovered during the 19th century on what continent?
Europe
The Pleistocene is characterized by what kind of conditions?
Extreme climactic oscillations and a general cooling trend
(True or False) The foramen magnum of the Taung Child is located posteriorly indicating was probably not bipedal.
False
(True or False) The most rapid development of cultural innovations occurred before the evolution of Homo sapiens.
False
Australopithecus bosei is characterized by which anatomical trait?
Forwardly placed zygomatics
Homo antecessor is a 780, 000 year old hominin found at which site?
Gran Dolina, Spain
When Professor Johanson and his team were working in Ethiopia in the 1970s, they discovered the remains of Lucy at which of the following fossil sites in the Afar Triangle?
Hadar
What is true about Australopithecus robustus skull?
Has a sagittal crest
The 150,000 year old human subspecies, Homo sapiens idaltu, is known from which site in Ethiopia?
Herto
What discovery was made at the Tanzanian site of Laetoli?
Hominin footprints
Franz Weidenreich is known for his study of which species?
Homo erectus
Lasting from about 1.9 mya to as recently as 50,000 years ago, which species was the longest-lived hominin species?
Homo erectus
Sinanthropus pekinensis was a name once used for fossils currently known as which species?
Homo erectus
Island dwarfing may explain the small size of which hominin species?
Homo floresiensis
A very fragmented partial skeleton (OH 62) was discovered by Dr. Johanson at Olduvai Gorge in the 1980s. This specimen was assigned to which species?
Homo habilis
The Mauer mandible is attributed to which species?
Homo heidelbergensis
Which species is the probable direct ancestor of Neandertals?
Homo heidelbergensis
Mid-facial prognathism and occipital buns are characteristic features of which species?
Homo neanderthalensis
When Homo sapiens first moved into Europe, what species did they meet?
Homo neanderthalensis
Mobiliary/portable art is associated with which species?
Homo sapiens
The "Creative Explosion" is attributed to which species?
Homo sapiens
The adult male, female, and child skeletons at Cro-Magnon are evidence that which species buried their dead approximately 40,000 years ago?
Homo sapiens
Which species is associated with the production of Venus figurines?
Homo sapiens
Which of the following best characterizes Homo when compared to Australopithecus?
Increase in brain size and longer legs relative to arms
The skeleton at the Abrigo do Lagar Velho burial site is evidence that Neanderthals and modern Homo sapiens may have:
Interbred; however, the skeleton is too young geologically to be a hybrid
Why is Selam, the Dikika Baby specimen, so important?
It is one of the most complete fossils of a juvenile Australopithecus
The famous Australopithecus afarensis footprints are known from which fossil site?
Laetoli, Tanzania
Paranthropus or Austalopithecus boisei had much _____________ molar teeth than modern humans.
Larger
The brain capacity of Homo habilis was _____ than that of Australopithecines.
Larger
What type of bones on the faces of early Homo project more than those of Australopithecus?
Nasal bones
What is anatomically true about Australopithecus africanus?
No sagittal crest
Which of the following characteristics is NOT present in Neandertals.
Nuchal torus
Australopithecus boisei is also known as?
Nutcracker Man
The Dmanisi hominins are characterized by:
Oldowan tools
The Shungura Formation is largely made up of river sediments. As a result the fossils found at this site are in what condition?
Poorly preserved
Cutmarks found on fossilized hominin bones from the middle Pleistocene of Bodo, Ethiopia are often used as evidence of what?
Potential cannibalism
What is the name of this scientist, who coined the name "Australopithecus africanus" and identified the Taung baby skull in a shipment of fossils?
Raymond Dart
One of the most surprising discoveries in the field of paleoanthropology is the species Homo floresiensis, which is characterized by which features?
Relatively small cranial capacity compared to other Homo species
The A.L. 666 maxilla found at Hadar in 1994 resembles Homo by what features?
Rounded dental arch and deep palate
The ______ is a bony ridge running front to back that protrudes out of the top of the skull in some Australopithecus species.
Sagittal crest
Are the teeth and jaws of early Homo generally larger or smaller than Australopithecus teeth and jaws?
Smaller
Compared with other Homo erectus specimens, is the average brain size larger or smaller in Homo erectus from Georgia (also known as Homo georgicus)?
Smaller
Is the human temporalis muscle bigger or smaller than the Australopithecus boisei temporalis muscle?
Smaller
In general, members of the genus Homo have what compared to members of the genus Australopithecus?
Smaller molars
Sterkfontein and which of the following are fossil hominin localities in South Africa?
Swartkrans
Which of the chewing muscles were greatly enlarged in the species Australopithecus boisei?
Temporalis
Olduvai Gorge is located on the edge of where?
The Serengeti
Which of the following statements are true about Neandertals?
They lived in rock overhangs, they took care of the disabled and sick, they hunted animals, they used fire
The large nasal apertures of Neandertals may have been used for which of the following purposes?
To warm cold air
The first fossils of Homo erectus were found at which place?
Trinil, Java, Indonesia
(True or False) Acheulean tools represent an adaptation for habitual and systematic butchery, but not necessarily hunting.
True
(True or False) All Homo sapiens share a common ancestry in Africa.
True
(True or False) Asian Homo erectus has more exaggerated features including thicker skulls and larger brow ridges compared to African Homo erectus/ergaster.
True
(True or False) Both Acheulean and Oldowan tool industries have been found at Olduvai Gorge.
True
(True or False) In the Upper Paleolithic, there is archaeological evidence for human fishing.
True
Which of the tool industries is associated with chisels and spear throwers?
Upper Paleolithic
What combination of features characterizes modern humans?
Vertical forehead and relatively small brow ridges
The Laetoli footprints were preserved because they were covered with ___________ followed by light rain.
Volcanic ash
Symbolic expression in the form of cave painting is a modern human behavior that may date as far as?
40,000 years ago
Neanderthals and humans shared their last common ancestor about how many years ago?
500,000 years ago
Robert Broom discovered specimens of which species at the site of Kromdraai in South Africa?
Australopithecus robustus
A typical Acheulean handaxe is crafted in what way?
Bifacial (i.e., having a cutting edge on two sides)
The late Pliocene is characterized by which type of trend, warming or cooling?
Cooling
What is the name of the researcher who became involved in the Chinese Geological Survey, excavated fossils at Dragon Bone Hill, and called them "Sinanthropus pekinensis"?
Davidson Black
Which researcher became involved in the Chinese Geological Survey, excavated fossils at Dragon Bone Hill, and called them "Sinanthropus pekinensis"?
Davidson Black
As the brain of Homo got bigger, guts and other organs ______ in size.
Decreased
As the brain of Homo got bigger, what happened to the gut size and the size of other organs? Were they increased or decreased?
Decreased
What are true statements about the Denisovans?
Denisovan DNA can be found in modern human populations, particularly in South-East Asians, Denisovan DNA has been found in Homo heidelbergensis specimens from Spain, Denisovan DNA is distinct form both Neandertals and modern humans
(True or False) Acheulean handaxes are associated with all Homo erectus sites.
False
(True or False) Australopithecus boisei was probably a carnivore.
False
(True or False) Complete skeletons of Neandertals are very rarely found.
False
(True or False) In general, members of the genus Homo have much larger molars than members of the genus Australopithecus.
False
(True or False) No hominin fossils have yet been found at the site of Laetoli.
False
(True or False) Paleoanthropologists do not know if Lucy was a short adult or a child when she died.
False
(True or False) Scientists are very certain about the evolutionary relationships between modern humans and all human ancestors who lived in the past.
False
(True or False) Scientists currently agree that Australopithecus sediba was not an ancestor to the genus Homo.
False
(True or False) The Olduwan tools found at Olduvai Gorge were likely made by Australopithecus bosei.
False
(True or False) The first Neandertals were found after Darwin published his theory of evolution.
False
Who is a famous primatologist who was inspired by LSB Leakey and is best known for his/her work studying chimpanzees in the wild?
Jane Goodall
The first fossils of the Homo rudolfensis species were discovered in the 1970s in _____.
Kenya
The earliest (oldest) fossil evidence of the genus Homo is from which site?
Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia
The SK 54 Australopithecus robustus cranium shows what evidence?
Leopard canine marks
Where is the site of the first significant discovery in Europe of Paleolithic anatomically modern Homo sapiens burials in 1868?
Les Eyzies, France
The earliest (oldest) stone tools were found at which site?
Lomekwi, Kenya
In comparison to other primates, Australopithecus afarensis had:
Long arms but short legs
Homo heidelbergensis is characterized by what features when compared to Homo erectus?
Smaller teeth and less prognathic faces
Karst topography characterizes the fossil sites of South or East Africa?
South
Karst topography characterizes the fossil sites of ______ Africa.
South
The first hominin fossil was discovered in 1924 in _____.
South Africa
How is the trend in brain size during hominin evolution is best described?
Steady increase for the first 3 million years with a rapid increase over the last 500, 000 years
(True or False) Louis Leakey excavated at Olduvai Gorge for two decades without recovering anything significant.
True
(True or False) Neandertals took care of the old and disabled.
True
(True or False) Other than occasional human hand stencils, paleolithic cave art rarely depicted human figures.
True
(True or False) Paranthropus crassidens is now called Australopithecus robustus
True
(True or False) Paranthropus or Austalopithecus boisei was first disovered at Olduvai Gorge.
True
(True or False) Phylogenetic trees are approximations of true complete evolutionary relationships.
True
(True or False) The Australopithecus sediba specimens discovered by Lee Berger and his team are nearly complete skeletons.
True
(True or False) The Out of Africa model of modern human origins suggests that modern humans evolved exclusively in Africa.
True
(True or False) The Out-of-Africa/Rapid-Replacement Model is supported by genetic evidence, which dates the origin of Homo sapiens at about 200, 000 years ago in Africa.
True
(True or False) The brain size of some Neandertal specimens exceeds the size of modern human brains.
True
(True or False) The encephalization quotient describes brain size relative to body size.
True
(True or False) The first Neandertals were found before Darwin published his theory of evolution.
True
(True or False) The genus Homo generally has larger brow ridges than the genus Australopithecus.
True
(True or False) The regions of the brain that are involved in language in humans have similar analogues in apes and monkeys.
True
(True or False) The size and shape of Lucy's birth canal is evidence that infants of her species were born with brains that were smaller than human brains.
True
(True or False) Tools made by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic are characterized by an extremely diverse variety of materials and forms.
True
