Deck 6: From First Primates to First Bipeds

Question 1

The position of the human big toe is described as being:

A)adducted.
B)adduced.
C)abducted.
D)opposable.
E)prehensiled.

Answer 1

adducted.

Question 2

What is distinct about the bipedalism of Ardipithecus ramidus?

A)The spinal column does not curve.
B)The pelvis is not as wide as the spacing between the feet.
C)The foot has a grasping big toe like a chimpanzee.
D)The fovea centralis is not downward,but toward the middle of the skull.
E)Ardipithecus was both a biped and a quadruped.

Answer 2

The foot has a grasping big toe like a chimpanzee.

Question 3

Which site has dramatic affirmation of the early origins of bipedalism among hominins?

A)Lake Tanganika,Tanzania
B)Olduvai Gorge,Tanzania
C)Laetoli,Tanzania
D)Addis Ababa,Ethiopia
E)Altamira Cave,Spain

Answer 3

Laetoli,Tanzania

Question 4

During which epoch did rifting begin to occur to the African landmass eventually resulting in the creation of the Great Rift Valley system?

A)Paleocene
B)Eocene
C)Oligocene
D)Miocene
E)Pliocene

Question 5

This primate was a diurnal quadruped with a mixture of money and ape features: its lower molars had five cusps like an ape;its skull had forward-facing eye sockets protected by a bony wall;an endocast of the cranium reveals that it had a visual cortex larger than that found in Prosimians,but the brain was smaller than that of more recent anthropoids;and it had marked sexual dimorphism and was no bigger than a modern house cat.It is a:

A)Dryopithecus.
B)Ardipithecus.
C)Homo habilis.
D)Aegyptopithecus.
E)Australopithecus afarensis.

Question 6

Which dating technique was used to solve the Piltdown Man hoax?

A)Radiocarbon dating
B)Fluorine absorption analysis
C)Potassium-argon dating
D)Electron spin resonance
E)Stratigraphy

Question 7

Mary Leakey is most known for:

A)her discovery of Ardipithecus ramidus.
B)her study of Oldowan tools.
C)her work as an assistant to Louis Leakey.
D)her studies of chimpanzees.
E)proving the existence of the molecular clock in human origins.

Question 8

All of the following are altered to accommodate bipedalism in the human skeleton except the:

A)pelvis.
B)feet.
C)spinal column.
D)forelimbs.
E)skull.

Question 9

In which theory for primate evolution does Matt Cartmill argue that hunting behavior in tree-dwelling primates was responsible for their enhanced visual and manual abilities?

A)Visual predation theory
B)Arboreal hypothesis
C)Bipedal arborealism
D)Postorbital bar theory
E)Mitochondrial DNA theory

Question 10

Why do human femora (thighbones)angle toward each other from the hip to the knee ("knee-in")?

A)The femora are angled so that foot stance of humans can be wider than the pelvis width.
B)They structurally orient the body from a wider pelvis to more narrowly spaced feet.
C)They shift support of the upper body onto the knees.
D)They shift the weight of the upper body onto the arched feet.
E)The femora do not angle toward each other;they are vertically straight and the tibia are angled.

Question 11

All of the following are reasons for the widespread acceptance of Dawson's Dawn Man (or Piltdown Man)as the missing link between apes and humans except:

A)desire to uncover the unknown missing link.
B)understanding based in Darwin's theory that the missing link would be half-ape and half-human in anatomical traits.
C)desire to include England in the story of early human evolution.
D)expectation that the defining characteristic of humans was the large brain.
E)knowledge that early fossilization was common in certain parts of England.

Question 12

Bipedalism can be inferred from the position of the:

A)fovea centralis.
B)foramen magnum.
C)masseter muscle.
D)femora and tibia.
E)feet.

Question 13

Which of the following is considered essential for a fossil to be included in the human evolutionary line?

A)Color vision
B)Single birth
C)Bipedalism
D)Large brain
E)Arborealism

Question 14

The first Australopithecine was found by Raymond Dart in 1924 and was nicknamed:

A)Java Man.
B)Taung Child.
C)Piltdown Man.
D)"ape-man of the lake."
E)Eastern Star.

Question 15

Why were scientists initially biased against accepting Australopithecus africanus as a hominin?

A)It was not bipedal.
B)It did not have a large brain.
C)It was not found associated with tools.
D)It was found in Africa.
E)It was too young.

Question 16

Which of the following is not correct with regard to the Eocene epoch?

A)Primates lived mainly in North America,Europe,and Asia.
B)A few primates lived in Africa.
C)All primates disappeared from North America by the end of this epoch.
D)The primates initially spread widely and then almost disappeared toward the end of the Eocene.
E)Primates first became established in Australia during this time.

Question 17

During which epoch did anthropoid fossils diversify and expand their range,and prosimian fossil forms became far less prominent?

A)Oligocene
B)Eocene
C)Miocene
D)Pliocene
E)Pleistocene

Question 18

Today,scientists agree that the divergence between humans and the chimpanzees/gorillas occurred between:

A)1-2 million years ago.
B)3-4 million years ago.
C)4-5 million years ago.
D)5-8 million years ago.
E)6-9 million years ago.

Question 19

Which of the following did not contribute to the development of bipedalism among Miocene apes?

A)The ability to increase the food supply by getting more seeds,leaves,and pods from spiny thorn bushes
B)Improved ability to carry offspring
C)Improved ability to spot predators on the savannah
D)Improved ability to carry food from the savannah to the safety of the trees
E)Improved ability to run faster

Question 20

Which of the following is not associated with the career of Louis Leakey?

A)Discovery of a late Miocene ape at Fort Ternan,Kenya
B)Worked at Olduvai Gorge,Tanzania
C)Was instrumental in setting up some of the earliest primatological research studies
D)Worked with A.T.Hopwood to discover the first Miocene ape fossil named Proconsul
E)Was the first scientist to uncover a Neanderthal fossil

Question 21

Which of the following characteristics of A.anamensis is considered most ape-like?

A)Bipedalism
B)Thick enamel on the molar teeth
C)A lower premolar tooth shaped to hone the upper canine
D)Lowered fovea centralis
E)Arched feet

Question 22

All of the following are considered negative consequences of bipedalism except:

A)slower ability to run.
B)difficulty changing directions while running.
C)exposed soft underbelly.
D)ability to stand and see predators.
E)greater visibility to predators.

Question 23

In what geographical region did scientists first find remains of A.bahrelghazali?

A)Southern Africa
B)Eastern Africa
C)Central Africa
D)Western Africa
E)Northern Africa

Question 24

The idea that bipedalism developed so that males could provide food to their female pair and offspring is considered culture bound because of all of the following reasons except:

A)pair bonding is not found frequently among terrestrial primates.
B)males of all species routinely gather excess to provision females whether or not they need it.
C)female primates routinely forage for food while carrying offspring.
D)early pair bonding is not evident in the genus Homo.
E)females are not usually highly restricted because of the dependence of offspring.

Question 25

In which type of environment do most scientists agree that early human forbears lived?

A)Tropical lowland environment
B)Heavily forested environment
C)A mixed forest and savanna environment
D)Large,open grassy savanna environment
E)Arid,desert environment

Question 26

What is meant by the "law of competitive exclusion"?

A)When one species successfully dominates an ecological niche,it will subdue all other species in the area.
B)When two or more species cohabit in the same area,they will each tend to specialize in a subset of foods to allow peaceful coexistence.
C)When two closely related species compete for the same niche,one will bring about the other's extinction.
D)In a balanced ecological niche,there will be no competition between species.
E)Species that begin competing for food supplies will eventually begin to compete for each other's mates as well;competition spreads.

Question 27

Which of the following australopithecine species do scientists not believe to be ancestral to the Homo line?

A)A.sediba
B)A.anamensis
C)A.africanus
D)A.robustus
E)A.garhi

Question 28

Australopithecus is a genus that includes as many as eight species.Which of the following is not a proposed Australopithecine species?

A)A.ramidus
B)A.garhi
C)A.boisei
D)A.bahrelghazali
E)A.robustus

Question 29

All of the following are characteristics of the "robust" australopithecines except:

A)large chewing apparatus.
B)existence of a marked sagittal crest.
C)powerful jaws.
D)large cheek teeth.
E)balanced front and back teeth.

Question 30

Which species of australopithecines was known as the "gracile" species?

A)A.sediba
B)A.africanus
C)A.anamensis
D)A.boisei
E)A.afarensis

Question 31

How is the understanding of the human birth process in the U.S.potentially a culture-bound perspective?

A)Human birth is a highly cultural event and is not seen as inherently difficult and risky in all cultures.
B)The human birth process is natural and occurs the same worldwide.
C)The cultural understanding of birth in the U.S.is not as well understood as it in in European countries.
D)In the U.S. ,we have a good understanding of the biology of birth but no cultural context in which the make sense of it.
E)Different ethnic groups have differently sized brains,so birth varies across cultures.

Question 32

The famous fossil "Lucy" is which type of Australopithecus?

A)A.sediba
B)A.anamensis
C)A.garhi
D)A.robustus
E)A.afarensis

Question 33

Of the following species of Australopithecus,which is the earliest (the first one)?

A)A.garhi
B)A.anamensis
C)A.afarensis
D)A.africanus
E)A.sediba

Question 34

Which of the following statements is not correct?

A)Bipedalism preceded the growth explosion of the human brain.
B)Human evolution has taken place at a steady pace.
C)Stabilizing selection affects bipedalism.
D)There has been little change in the bipedal mechanism in at least a few million years.
E)Bipedalism likely occurred as a sudden shift.

Question 35

Which of the following anatomical features is marked with the greatest amount of difference between gracile and robust australopithecines?

A)Brain size
B)Height
C)Length of femora
D)Flexibility of ankles
E)Chewing apparatus

Question 36

Those scientists who focus on the variation in the fossil record,interpreting minor differences as evidence of distinct biological species,are known as:

A)lumpers.
B)casters.
C)splitters.
D)separators.
E)divergences.

Question 37

Dated between 1.97 and 1.98 million years ago and including a variety of derived traits in the hand,forearm,and pelvis that appear in line with the later characteristics of Homo is the:

A)A.garhi.
B)A.boisei.
C)A.robustus.
D)A.anamensis.
E)A.sediba.

Question 38

The first fragments of Homo habilis were found at:

A)Olduvai Gorge.
B)Laetoli.
C)Afar region.
D)Swartkrans.
E)Lake Tanganika.

Question 39

Which of the following statements about chimpanzee climbing is correct?

A)They habitually flex their ankles to grasp the tree as they climb.
B)They have no foot inversion while climbing.
C)Dorsification is not evident while climbing.
D)They normally grasp a tree with long arms and pull themselves up,making little use of their feet and ankles.
E)Chimpanzees do not climb trees.

Question 40

Which of the following is first associated with tool-making in the archaeological record?

A)A.garhi
B)A.boisei
C)A.africanus
D)A.anamensis
E)H.habilis

Question 41

New World monkeys most likely emerged during the Oligocene epoch.

Question 42

In bipedal humans,the shape of the spinal column follows a single,graceful curve.

Question 43

Chimpanzees and humans use their ankles in much the same way while climbing.

Question 44

Human birth is always considered extremely difficult because of paleoanthropological evidence.

Question 45

Bipedalism may have served to protect the developing human brain from direct sun radiation.

Question 46

Orrorin tugenesis has now been accepted as a member of the human line.

Question 47

Tools made by prehistoric peoples were often found in Europe.

Question 48

Bipedalism is the one trait that is necessary for a new species to be admitted into the human evolutionary line.

Question 49

Many scientists believe that the robust australopithecines changed their diets to avoid competing with the genus
Homo.

Question 50

Proconsul was the first bipedal primate.

Question 51

The earliest Australopithecines were found in southern and western Africa.

Question 52

The arboreal theory for primate evolution argues that primate visual and grasping abilities were associated with hunting for insects by sight.

Question 53

The first specimen of A.robustus was discovered by Mary Leakey in 1894.

Question 54

During the Eocene,the primates diversified and expanded their geographical range.

Question 55

The fossil Lucy was better adapted to tree climbing than more recent human ancestors.

Question 56

Mary Leakey was an authority on Oldowan tools.

Question 57

Bipedalism likely developed because of the need for males to bring food to nursing females.

Question 58

The size and shape of the brain and teeth of Ardipithecus ramidus is similar to a chimpanzee.

Question 59

With the appearance of the genus Homo,there developed a feedback loop between biological characteristics and cultural innovations in the human line.

Question 60

Early hominins likely had to lose some of their climbing abilities in order to obtain efficient bipedality.

Question 61

Why was the discovery of Lucy such a significant scientific event?

Question 62

What is the law of competitive exclusion,and what role did it play in early human evolution?

Question 63

Name four anatomical changes that occurred in the human species to accommodate bipedalism.In other words,how is it "written on our skeletal bodies"?

Question 64

What is unique and interesting about human evolution at the Laetoli,Tanzania,site?

Question 65

Distinguish between "lumpers" and "splitters."

Question 66

How is chimpanzee climbing different from that in humans?

Question 67

During the Oligocene,what type of primates existed? Describe the environment and their characteristics.

Question 68

Compare and contrast the arboreal hypothesis and the visual predation hypothesis as theories for primate evolution.

Question 69

What is the diastema?

Question 70

The genus Australopithecus is filled with diversity among its species.Identify at least two of the species,and discuss the differences between them.

Question 71

Why do scientists not have a better understanding of the brain-to-body-size comparison for australopithecines?

Question 72

Who was "Dawson's Dawn Man," and what was its role in human evolution?

Question 73

Describe the anatomical characteristics of Ardipithecus ramidus.

Question 74

Why is our concept of human birth so varied from place to place?

Question 75

Distinguish between the chewing apparatus of gracile and robust australopithecines.

Question 76

Who were Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey,and what were their contributions to our understanding of human evolution?

Question 77

What are the potential negative consequences of bipedalism?

Question 78

Describe the Eocene environment for early primates.

Question 79

Distinguish between an abducted and adducted big toe in primates.

Question 80

Compare and contrast bipedalism with quadrupedalism.