Deck 1: Introduction to Anthropology

Question 1

The study of human biology within the framework of human evolution can be said to be the domain of which of the following?

A) cultural anthropology
B) physical/biological anthropology
C) primatology
D) osteology
E) archaeology

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The term evolution refers to

A) changes in the genetic make-up of a population from one generation to the next
B) the process of specialization
C) includes genetic changes within populations and but not the appearance of new species
D) a response of organisms or populations to the environment
E) patterns of inheritance of traits from parent to offspring

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What strategy is unique to humans develop that allows them to adapt to the natural environment?

A) evolution
B) culture
C) biological adaptation
D) walking on two legs
E) genetic change

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring is called

A) Hominidae
B) a species
C) a family
D) a hominid
E) a populace

Question 5

The order Primates includes all of the following except

A) monkeys
B) prosimians
C) humans
D) tarsiers
E) marsupials

Question 6

Fields of inquiry fundamental to studies of adaptation in modern human populations include

A) Factors that have produced only visible physical differences
B) Factors that have produced only genetic variation
C) Traits that typify certain populations that have not evolved as biological adaptations
D) Traits that typify certain populations that have evolved as biological adaptation to environment, e.g. sunlight, altitude, or infectious disease
E) Examinations of modern groups but not populations over time

Question 7

Archaeologists

A) primarily recover valuable artifacts
B) are not interested in human behavior
C) study earlier human groups using artifacts and structures as their evidence
D) never work with physical anthropology
E) only examine complex civilizations

Question 8

What does the term biocultural evolution refer to?

A) biological changes in a species over time
B) changes in human culture from generation to generation
C) the interaction between biology and culture in human evolution
D) biological evolution in all species except humans
E) the influence of genetic engineering on culture

Question 9

Ethnographies

A) are studies of only Western European societies
B) are studies of nonhuman primates
C) emphasize, among other topics, religion, ritual, myth, diet, gender roles, and child-rearing practices
D) are studies done by archaeologists
E) are the practical application of anthropological theories

Question 10

Culture, as defined in Chapter 1

A) is important only as it pertains to modern humans
B) is genetically determined
C) includes only those aspects of human lifestyle that relate to the arts
D) can be defined as the strategy by which humans adapt to the natural environment
E) was not an important factor in human evolution

Question 11

The origins of physical anthropology arose from two areas of interest among 19th century scientists. What did these areas concern?

A) the origins of modern species and human variation
B) the genetic determinants of behavior and osteology
C) nonhuman primates and origins of modern species
D) human variation and osteology
E) human evolution and nonhuman primates

Question 12

Which subdiscipline of anthropology is concerned with various aspects of human language?

A) primatology
B) linguistic anthropology
C) ethnology
D) applied anthropology
E) anthropometry

Question 13

Which is not an important aspect of human culture?

A) It is learned.
B) It includes such things as technology, language, religion, and gender roles.
C) It is genetically determined.
D) It is a critical role in human evolution.
E) It is a strategy that includes various technologies, but fortunately excludes language and kinship rules which are always changing.

Question 14

______ is the practical application of the subfields of anthropology.

A) Linguistics
B) Archaeology
C) Applied anthropology
D) Physical anthropology
E) Cultural anthropology

Question 15

Human evolution

A) is not subject to the same factors that have produced other species
B) has been the result of cultural factors alone
C) is subject to the same forces that have acted upon other organisms
D) has not been influenced by cultural factors
E) is solely the result of cultural factors

Question 16

Cultural anthropology

A) was first developed as a discipline in the 17th century
B) includes the recovery and analysis of material culture from earlier civilizations
C) focuses solely upon the study of traditional societies
D) has no practical application in modern society
E) is the study of the patterns of belief and behavior found in modern and historical cultures.

Question 17

____________ is the study of anatomical and behavior human evolution as evidenced by the fossil record.

A) Paleoanthropology
B) Osteology
C) Primatology
D) Anthropometry
E) Paleopathology

Question 18

Which of the following is not one of the subfields of anthropology in the United States?

A) Cultural
B) Physical
C) Psychological
D) Archaeology
E) Linguistics

Question 19

Today, cultural anthropologists are involved in numerous avenues of research including all of the following except

A) the study of subcultures
B) the resettlement of refugees
C) the relationship between cultural attributes and health and disease
D) the study of their own cultures
E) the study of city or urban areas that are no longer remote

Question 20

Approximately 3.7 million years ago, two or three hominins left their footprints across the savanna of modern day Tanzania, clear evidence that

A) Apes were present in Tanzania
B) hominins walked bipedally
C) modern day Tanzania continues to be a savanna environment
D) hominins traveled in small groups
E) Tanzania is 3.7 million years old

Question 21

What is a hypothesis?

A) It is a statement that has been proven to be true.
B) It is equivalent to a theory.
C) It is a provisional statement regarding certain scientific facts or observations.
D) It is proof of a theory.
E) It is a fact from which conclusions can be drawn.

Question 22

Which is not true about paleoanthropology?

A) It is the study of human evolution.
B) It includes the fossils of ancient reptiles and amphibians.
C) Its goal is to identify the various human ancestors.
D) It attempts to gain insights into human adaptation and behavior.
E) It is a valid way to conduct anthropology.

Question 23

Which of the following includes genetic-alterations within populations?

A) macroevolution
B) anatomy
C) osteology
D) paleopathology
E) microevolution

Question 24

All cultures share the same worldview.

Question 25

The focus of anthropology is very narrow and has only two subfields.

Question 26

Physical anthropologists are interested only in the study of biological systems.

Question 27

________ is the subdiscipline of osteology that is concerned with disease and trauma in earlier populations.

A) Forensic anthropology
B) Primatology
C) Anthropometry
D) Paleoanthropology
E) Paleopathology

Question 28

The anthropological perspective does not

A) Offer a wider appreciation through time and space
B) Look at the diversity of the human experience
C) Help to avoid ethnocentric pitfalls
D) Give a wider appreciation of the human experience
E) Narrow our viewpoint of how our species through time and space.

Question 29

Forensic anthropology is an applied subfield which benefits from a background in physical anthropology.

Question 30

Which of the following was one of the most observable physical differences in physical anthropologists' early studies of human variation?

A) Eye color
B) shape of head and face
C) Height
D) Weight
E) Hair color

Question 31

Who uses anthropological techniques to assist in crime investigations and to identify skeletal remains in cases of disaster?

A) paleoanthropologists
B) primatologists
C) archaeologists
D) cultural anthropologists
E) forensic anthropologists

Question 32

_______ focuses on the study of skeletal remains from archaeological sites.

A) osteology
B) bioarchaeology
C) paleopathology
D) forensic anthropology
E) primate paleontology

Question 33

The anthropological perspective proposes to broaden our viewpoint though time and space.

Question 34

Which of the following is true of the relativistic view of culture?

A) It allows us to understand our concerns and to view our own culture from a narrower perspective.
B) It allows us to understand other people's concerns and to view our own culture from a broader perspective.
C) We realize that we can judge other species using human criteria.
D) We come to recognize the superiority of humans.
E) We understand the importance of our culture.

Question 35

What is the initial step in the scientific method?

A) the formation of a theory
B) the formation of a hypothesis
C) to perform an experiment
D) to publish a scientific article
E) to collect data under precise conditions

Question 36

Which of the following does not apply to theories

A) Tested explanations of facts
B) Usually concerned with broader and more universal views
C) Not absolutes and open for falsification
D) Specific statements of scientific relationships that have not been verified
E) The result of repeated testing

Question 37

Which of the following is not an important reason why primatology has become increasingly important since the late 1950s?

A) Behavioral studies have implications for understanding natural forces that have shaped human behavior.
B) The behavioral studies of any species provide a wealth of data on adaptation.
C) Nonhuman primates are our closest living relatives.
D) Many nonhuman primates are threatened or seriously endangered.
E) Recommendations can be made to better ensure treatment of humans

Question 38

Primatology is the study of

A) human evolution
B) human skeletal material
C) skeletal remains at crime scenes
D) disease in earlier human groups
E) living nonhuman primates

Question 39

The 3.7 million year old footprints of two hominids were discovered in a riverbed in Texas.

Question 40

Forensic anthropologists

A) study disease and trauma in ancient populations
B) apply anthropological techniques to the law
C) are primarily concerned with the recovery of material culture remains
D) examine the relationships between medical treatment and culturally determined views of disease
E) study nonhuman primates

Question 41

Why is the field of genetics central to the field of physical anthropology?

Question 42

Briefly differentiate between archaeology and cultural anthropology.

Question 43

In a biological sense, what is adaptation?

Question 44

Explain each of the subfields of anthropology and the importance of the four-field approach.

Question 45

Explain what "the anthropological perspective" means.

Question 46

Molecular anthropologists have used genetic technologies to investigate the relationships between human populations as well as nonhuman primates.

Question 47

Discuss the role of the scientific method in physical anthropology.

Question 48

Physical/biological anthropologists are only interested in the human fossil record.

Question 49

Define osteology and then discuss which subfields of physical anthropology require knowledge of osteology.

Question 50

Discuss the changing focus of cultural anthropology.

Question 51

Why are physical/biological anthropologists interested in human biological variation?

Question 52

Anthropology can be applied to practical issues outside the university setting.

Question 53

Define the term biocultural evolution.

Question 54

List two reasons why nonhuman primate studies are important.

Question 55

The human predisposition to assimilate culture and function within it is profoundly influenced by biological factors.

Question 56

What are three major subfields of anthropology? Describe each in terms of their subject matter.