Deck 7: Later Hominids: Homo Erectus and Homo Sapiens

Question 1

Experts point to encephalization as the single most important factor characterizing the evolution of the genus Homo.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Bones (fossils) are a better indicator of a population's distribution than artifacts.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The cranial capacity of Homo erectus hovers around 1000 cc.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

By Homo erectus times, modern proportions of legs and arms had evolved.

Question 5

The fossil called Mauer (Heidelberg) is merely a set of lower teeth.

Question 6

Early archaic Homo sapiens are found in Africa and Asia, but not in Europe.

Question 7

The honor of having the largest hominid brow ridge goes to Kabwe (Rhodesian Man).

Question 8

All archaic Homo sapiens (early and late) have a cranial capacity at least as large as 1200 cc.

Question 9

The Pit of Bones fossils from Atapuerca (Spain) are referred to as "the first family" because there are 32 individuals of both sexes and all ages in the collection.

Question 10

Experts have never found any Neandertals other than in West, Central, and East Europe.

Question 11

Neandertal's large nasal opening is likely connected to breathing in cold weather.

Question 12

Neandertal may have been shorter than modern humans, but they had larger cranial capacities.

Question 13

Because Neandertals had a larger cranial capacity than modern humans, they were probably smarter as well.

Question 14

Experts believe Middle Eastern Neandertals migrated from Europe during a warm period and stayed.

Question 15

It is not likely that Neandertal evolved directly into AMH becuse their dates overlap too much.

Question 16

Just because Neandertal might not have been able to use the vowels "a" and "i" does not mean their speech was inferior to that of AMH.

Question 17

If Neandertal and AMH interbred, there should be evidence in the form of hybrids or mixing of artifact types.

Question 18

Retromolar space and tooth enamel thickness show the same evolutionary trajectory from European Neandertals to AMH.

Question 19

All experts agree the "Portugese Kid" (Lagar Velho) fossil is a product of hybridization between Neandertal and AMH.

Question 20

The term "behaviorally modern human" refers to those hominids who show behavioral capabilities similar to moderns.

Question 21

Australian aborigines and their 40 kyr ancestors both show the morphological traits of small flat faces.

Question 22

Recent African Origin advocates claim Neandertals had little to no admixture from Neandertal or any other archaic population through gene flow.

Question 23

RAO and MR proponents are as unchanged in their positions now as they were 15 years ago.

Question 24

Anthropologists define speech as sound-based language.

Question 25

Since chimpanzees can be taught to speak simple words, scientists conclude that speech was evident in the Last Common Ancestor of chimpanzees and humans.

Question 26

There is only one prehistoric hyoid bone but it supports the hypothesis that Neandertal could speak.

Question 27

You would find the saggital keel on a Homo erectus skull

A) where its mandible meets the skull
B) on top of its skull at the midline
C) in the back for muscle attachment
D) where the mouth sticks out

Question 28

What is unique about the Sinanthropus pekinensis fossils themselves?

A) they showed arms that were out of proportions to their legs
B) even though they were in a warm climate, their DNA could be dated
C) they disappeared during the second World War and have never been located
D) there is only one skull, but two mandibles and no way to know which belongs to the skull

Question 29

The most distinctive thing about the four Dmanisi skulls is

A) the small cranial capacity
B) they are female
C) they have prominent chins
D) they have large eye orbits

Question 30

Dmanisi can be said to be "in the right place at the right time" because the Dmanisi people

A) were in Georgia, due north of where Homo erectus would have come out of Africa at 1.8 myr ago
B) were Italian, right before the split to Neandertals
C) were found in Morocco just as the Mediterranean opened up some 2 myr ago
D) were found in Romania and dated about 1 myr ago, right when the first big migration occurred

Question 31

All of the following are early derived traits of Homo sapiens EXCEPT

A) vertical forehead
B) flat face
C) skull widest at base
D) large brain

Question 32

The first early archaic Homo sapiens reported to show any sign of early Neandertal tendencies is

A) Petralona
B) Dmanisi
C) Homo preneandertalensis
D) the Pit of Bones group at Atapuerca

Question 33

Scientists don't know the exact provenience of the original Neandertal fossil because

A) it was found by school children who promptly forgot its original location
B) it ended up at the bottom of a slope, all mixed together with other bones
C) the workers who found it in a cave merely tossed it over the cave edge
D) rodents have been moving the bones around for 50 kyr

Question 34

You would characterize Neandertal crania as having all of the following traits EXCEPT

A) a low and sloping forehead
B) small nasal opening and likely small nose
C) a large, pulled-out face
D) little to no chin

Question 35

Compare Neandertals and AMH postcranially and you would find Neandertal shows all of the following traits EXCEPT

A) tall stature
B) curved long bones
C) more muscularity
D) 30% more weight

Question 36

The trait called "the H-O mandibular foramen" is

A) distinctly and uniquely Neandertal
B) a trait all Homo sapiens share as populations, if not all individuals
C) found in the more than half of European Neandertals and many AMH who succeeded them
D) only found in Middle Eastern Neandertals

Question 37

If AMH replaced Neandertal, there should be some evidence of one of the following EXCEPT

A) killing of one population by the other
B) better tools by AMH to better extract resources
C) no change in the environment
D) enough DNA different to suggest different species

Question 38

A comparison of European fossils from Neandertal through AMH has yielded evolutionary trends in all of the following traits EXCEPT

A) depression in upper rear of skull
B) H-O mandibular foramen
C) tooth enamel thickness
D) retromolar space

Question 39

Different interpretations of the 20 or so "transitional" sites showing combinations of Neandertal and AMH tool elements result in all of the following hypotheses EXCEPT

A) AMH killed off Neandertals and started using the tools at Neandertal sites
B) both groups invented new tool technology at the same time
C) one group observed the other and started imitating them
D) the two populations physically merged and then merged their tool manufacturing ideas

Question 40

The biggest difference between archaic and AMH are high foreheads, rounded heads, and

A) a cranial capacity minimum of 1200 cc
B) flat faces
C) chins
D) small teeth of all kinds

Question 41

All of the reported AMH fossils have potential problems EXCEPT

A) Border Cave's provenience is insecure
B) only one of the four Klasies River Mouth mandibles has a chin
C) Herto (Homo sapiens idaltu)'s K-Ar date is insecure
D) one of the Omo Kabish fossils is AMH and one is archaic, one is a burial, but which one?

Question 42

A comparison of the Neandertal burials at Tabun (Israel) with the AMH burial at Skuhl (Israel) shows they shared major cultural findings including all of the following EXCEPT the same

A) artifacts
B) animal exploitation techniques
C) tools
D) burial techniques

Question 43

All of the following East Asian traits are used by multiregionalists to show evidence of regionalism EXCEPT that ancient and modern Asian populations both show

A) protruding zygomatic arches
B) flat, vertical, faces
C) small teeth
D) high percent of shovel shaped incisors

Question 44

Two years after Chris Stringer formalized the Out of Africa model, which of the following gave support to it?

A) fossils of three Neandertals showing mtDNA that was very different from AMH
B) two hybrid Neandertal/ AMH fossils that were found in Spain and Portugal
C) mtDNA that both showed the LCA of modern humans was in Africa and dated the speciation event
D) a Japanese excavation found fossils in Korea and Japan that the model predicted

Question 45

The function of Broca's area is to control

A) the movement of the tongue
B) the understanding of sounds
C) the muscles used in sound production
D) the understanding of fine body movements

Question 46

Relative to evidence for speech, the shape of the basiocranium substitutes for the biological trait of

A) tongue
B) brain stem
C) larynx
D) hyoid bone

Question 47

What was the major and some of the minor differences between Homo erectus as a grade and Homo habilis?

Question 48

What dating technique was used to date recently discovered SE Asian Homo erectus fossils and why is this controversial?

Question 49

Describe Neandertal either from the neck up or the neck down.

Question 50

Discuss the replacement hypothesis for the demise of Neandertals and suggest what evidence supports it.

Question 51

Discuss two of Frayer's morphological traits that show up first in Neandertal and successively through AMH in terms of what this might mean.

Question 52

Briefly characterize the two hypotheses concerning the who, when, where, and how of the Multiregional and Recent African Origin models. Do not critique them.

Question 53

Discuss the Assimilation model, pointing to similarities and differences to the two "extreme" models.

Question 54

Describe Homo erectus from the neck up, commenting on the changes in its general anatomy from the australopithecine grade.

Question 55

Describe the early archaic Homo sapiens grade as they appear transitional between Homo erectus and AMH.

Question 56

Describe your typical Neandertal from the top of head to toes.

Question 57

Discuss the hypotheses concerning what happened to Neandertal.

Question 58

Which of the two hypotheses concerning the origin of AMH makes the most sense to you? Describe the hypothesis, its evidence, and why you support it over the other one.

Question 59

Discuss the following as providing evidence for speech abilities: Broca's area, Wernicke's area, hypoglossal canal shape, and shape of the basiocranium.