Anthropology 101 - Human Biological Evolution » Spring 2021 » Unit 3 Exam

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Question #1
Fossils are ___________.
A.   Remains, impressions, or traces of plants or animals from a previous time
B.   Useful for determining the age and behavior of an extinct species
C.   Rare because many individuals don’t fossilize and those that do are easily destroyed
D.   All of these are true of fossils
Question #2
Fossil hominoids underwent a major adaptive radiation during the:
A.   Pleistocene
B.   Pliocene
C.   Oligocene
D.   Miocene
Question #3
The angiosperm-primate coevolution hypothesis notes that the earliest primates likely ate
A.   tubers
B.   fruit
C.   meat
D.   insects
Question #4
Bipedalism in humans has favored a(n) _________.
A.   narrow pelvis with the femur positioned straight downwards to provide a wide stance to support our upper body weight
B.   short, curved femur bones that provide a spring-like action with each step
C.   the foramen magnum shifted to the back of the skull so that we are able to look straight ahead with little muscle support
D.   longer femurs, angled in at the knee, to support the body over a narrow center of gravity, which helps make balance more efficient
Question #5
Bipedlism in humans has favored a(n) _________.
A.   c-shaped spine to support our larger upper bodies
B.   short femurs, straight downwards from a narrow pelvis
C.   the foramen magnum centered beneath the skull to keep it balanced on top of the spine, allowing smaller muscles to hold it up and look forward
D.    A long and narrow pelvis.
Question #6
When did the very first hominin species appear?
A.   1 - 2 mya
B.   15 - 16 mya
C.   6 - 7 mya
D.   25 - 30 mya
Question #7
One primitive trait of Ardipithecus ramidus is its
A.   pelvis
B.   big toe
C.   flat face
D.   hip
Question #8
The footprints of Australopithecus, found at Laetoli, indicate that the australopithecines:
A.   were imperfect bipeds who walked on the sides of their feet
B.   were basically quadrupedal, but occasionally rose to a two-legged posture
C.   walked somewhat like modern gorillas
D.   walked in a striding bipedal motion like modern humans
Question #9
Australopithecus species had __________.
A.   Molars as small as modern humans
B.   Fewer teeth than modern humans.
C.   Teeth intermediate between chimps and humans
D.   Canines as large as chimpanzees
Question #10
Paranthropus species had skull structures specialized for:
A.   using their teeth as tools
B.   Heavy chewing
C.   carnivorous diet
D.   Cannibalism
Question #11
Paranthropus species are characterized by ___________.
A.   a vertical forehead
B.   a massive jaw
C.   canines that project slightly below the incisors
D.   a very flat, not prognathic face
Question #12
The genus Homo differs from Australopithecus/Paranthropus in several ways, including:
A.   larger brain size
B.   larger premolars and molars
C.   larger protruding faces
D.   bipedalism
Question #13
The genus Homo first appears in the fossil record around:
A.   2.5 million years ago
B.   500,000 years ago
C.   1 million years ago
D.   5 million years ago
Question #14
We know that Oldowan tools _________.
A.   were intentionally created by knocking of a series of many flakes, that had to be hit at just the right angle
B.   took very little skill to make
C.   were attached to wooden spears for hunting large game
D.   were sharp shards of rock that broke off when a hominin threw one rock against another.
Question #15
Characteristics we define as Homo appear in the fossil record at different times. This is known as
A.   speciation
B.   hybridization
C.   mosaic evolution
D.   uneven development
Question #16
Homo erectus is characterized by ________.
A.   smaller teeth than Australopithecus species
B.   longer legs than Australopithecus species
C.   all of these are true of Homo erectus
D.   a larger brain than Homo habilis
Question #17
Homo heidelbergensis appeared about _______.
A.   200 kya
B.   1.0 mya
C.   1.5 mya
D.   800 kya
Question #18
Hunting is a "risky" source of food to rely on as a major part of a species' diet. In modern human foraging societies, how is this risk managed?
A.   Men even out the successful and unsuccessful hunts by sharing meat across a group of hunters
B.   men only hunt smaller animals they know won't hurt them
C.   people in the community practice weekly rituals to ensure the success of the hunters in their group
D.   Men never allow women to go hunting with them
Question #19
Complex foraging requires ________.
A.   specialization of skills. No one person can be good at everything.
B.   a division of labor between people, so that some focus on one type of task and others focus on another type of task.
C.   people with different skills to share with each other and redistribute the various types of food.
D.   all of these follow from increased reliance on complex foraging skills.
Question #20
Neandertals ________.
A.   painted shell jewelry
B.   buried their dead
C.   did all of these sometimes
D.   engaged in cannibalism
Question #21
Neanderthals _______.
A.   often had injuries such as bone fractures, suffered from diseases such as arthritis and gum disease and had relatively short life spans of no more than 45 years, and more commonly less than 30 years.
B.   often had injuries such as bone fractures and had relatively short life spans of no more than 45 years, and more commonly less than 30 years.
C.   suffered from diseases such as arthritis and gum disease
D.   had relatively short life spans of no more than 45 years, and more commonly less than 30 years.
Question #22
The merging of the Out of Africa model and the Multiregoinalism model is called the ________ model.
A.   Assimilation
B.   Emergence
C.   Founders
D.   Mitochondrial Eve
Question #23
The wide variety of artifacts found in Blombos Cave in South Africa suggest that
A.   Neanderthal culture had no influence on the entire continent of Africa
B.   toolmaking and artistry were more complex than previously thought for the Middle Stone Age
C.   the human mind had not evolved or developed prior to European migration
D.   trade routes with Africa during the Middle Stone Age spanned continents
Question #24
The traits common to modern Homo sapiens appeared gradually over time and out of sync with each other. This is call a
A.   pastiche
B.   collage
C.   kaleidoscope
D.   mosaic
Question #25
Physical traits such as height ________.
A.   cannot be influenced by cultural practices
B.   are determined almost entirely by the environment, with almost no genetic effect
C.   are determined almost entirely by genes, with little environmental effect
D.   are determined by an interaction of genes and environment
Question #26
Which of the following are influenced by both environment and genetic factors?
A.   height
B.   skin color
C.   disease and height
D.   skin color, disease, and height
Question #27
It is scientifically valid to assign people to particular racial groups solely on the basis of ___.
A.   Hair color
B.   None of these
C.   ABO blook type
D.   Skin color
Question #28
What does skin color tell you about a person?
A.   It indicates his or her race.
B.   none of these
C.   It provides information about his or her cultural heritage.
D.   If offers insight into his or her predisposition to disease.

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