Module 2: Biological Anthropology
What is the name for the period in which human activity has been the dominant influence on Earth's climate and the natural environment?
Anthropocene epoch
What is the correct expression of the scientific name for the monarch butterfly?
Danaus plexippus
Which of the following is associated with the Lower Paleolithic?
H. habilis and the Oldowan tool industry
Which statement best describes the phrase "survival of the fittest"?
It is a phrase that Herbert Spencer first used to promote social Darwinism
Which of the following does NOT explain the variation of skin pigmentation in humans?
Mendelian heredity
The term _______ refers to all species considered to be in direct lineage to modern humans, while the term _____________ refers to all present and extinct great apes.
hominins ; hominids
Which of these is NOT characteristic of H. erectus?
increasing prognathism
What genetic material found in the mitochondria is passed on only through the mother?
mtDNA
Darwin's theory of evolution has been __________________ by molecular and genetic science
supported and strengthened
Which of these occurs when two populations of the same species become isolated from one another due to a geographic barrier?
allopatric speciation
Which region of the brain is associated with speech development?
Broca's area
What are the two main primate groups?
Strepsirrhine and Haplorrhine
Acheulean tools were modified on both sides, resulting in a symmetrical tool with two faces, also known as _____________.
a biface
The long history humans share with lice is a good example of _____________.
coevolution
Which of the following is not considered a subfield of biological anthropology?
cultural anthropology
What is the oldest known stone tool industry?
Oldowan
Venus figurines, cave art, and artifacts made with bone and antler are largely associated with what time period?
Upper Paleolithic
How was the natural world viewed by most Europeans before the 19th century?
as a static hierarchy that included God, angels, humans, and other life forms
What is the FOXP2 gene?
a gene that is linked to the ability to understand complex language
What is the observable expression of physical traits called?
a phenotype
Which of the following considers both physical and molecular evidence to formulate hypotheses on the evolutionary relationship of species?
phylogenetics
Mendelian inheritance explains some 5,000 human traits. Most genetic expressions, however, are not the result of Mendelian heredity but rather are_______________.
polygenic traits
Which of the following best defines biological anthropology?
the exploration of human biological variation and their evolutionary past
The variations seen in modern humans are largely the result of adaptations to the environment. Which of these is NOT an example of an adaptation?
the prevalence of hemophilia in certain population groups
What is French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck best known for?
the theory of macroevolution
What best explains the loss of hair in humans, ultimately leading to the wearing of clothes?
thermoregulation
______________, or brain lateralization, is a cognitive development that can be inferred through right- or left-hand dominance in the construction and use of early hominin tools.
Handedness
Which species was long regarded as the earliest hominin to use stone tools?
Homo habilis
Why is the term biological anthropology preferred over the term physical anthropology?
The term physical anthropology became associated with scientific racism.
