Deck 4: Human Evolution

Question 1

The relationship between biological and cultural changes is not fully understood.​

Answer 1

True

Question 2

"Lucy" was an australopithecine fossil.​

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A human infant is born with a classic human spinal shape.​

Answer 3

False

Question 4

A biped runs faster than a quadruped.​

Question 5

The Neandertals inhabited Europe and Africa from approximately 125,000 to 30,000 years ago.​

Question 6

Neandertals were anatomically different from modern humans.​

Question 7

The evolution from australopithecine to Homo habilis is known to have occurred very gradually.​

Question 8

Beginning with Homo habilis, human evolution followed a sure course of increasing brain size relative to body size.​

Question 9

Hominoids include moneys, apes, and humans.​

Question 10

Homo erectus first emerged in the Oligocene era.​

Question 11

Continental drift is responsible for climate change within the environment.​

Question 12

Neandertals' place in human history remains contentious.​

Question 13

The earliest-known human ancestors are the gracile australopithecines.​

Question 14

Homo erectus is associated with the Acheulean tool tradition.​

Question 15

Increased meat consumption by our early human ancestors was important for human evolution.​

Question 16

A normal human spine contains only one slight curve inward at the waist.​

Question 17

Lumping species has the advantage of simplicity.​

Question 18

Humans sometimes scavenged food, but they were never tertiary scavengers.​

Question 19

The Denisovans were an adaptation to a very narrow island ecosystem.​

Question 20

Genetic studies have confirmed that the African apes are our closest living relatives.​

Question 21

When did the first mammals appear?​

A)​about 40 million years ago
B)​approximately 65 million years ago
C)​over 500 million years ago
D)​over 200 million years ago

Question 22

Because of recent fossil discoveries, there is no longer any controversy surrounding the placement of Neandertal in the modern human line.​

Question 23

In facial reconstructions of the earliest humans, paleoartists primarily focus on analyzing what types of biological data?​

A)​DNA and genes
B)​bones
C)​preserved soft tissue
D)​hair

Question 24

Discoverers of Homo sapiens idaltu have used this fossil evidence to argue that Neandertal is part of the direct line of Homo sapiens sapiens.​

Question 25

What is bipedalism?​

A)​a special form of locomotion on two feet
B)​having two lobes in the skull
C)​the separation of Homo erectus from Homo sapiens
D)​the relationship between two species of apes

Question 26

What evidence is used for a hominoid fossil to be definitively classified as part of the human evolutionary line?​

A)​bipedalism
B)​upright spinal column
C)​large skull
D)​forward-projecting eyes

Question 27

Understanding human evolution, unlike that of other species, is particularly complex because of:​

A)​the incomplete fossil record
B)​the rapid rate of decomposition among mammals
C)​the presence of culture
D)​the frequent migration associated with our species

Question 28

Scientists date the split between human ancestors and the ancestors of African apes between:​

A)​10 and 15 million years ago
B)​2 and 4 million years ago
C)​5 and 8 million years ago
D)​5 and 10 million years ago

Question 29

Without isolation, gene flow tends to keep populations from differentiating into distinct species.​

Question 30

Homo sapiens is a homogenous species.​

Question 31

The integrating effects of gene flow have become so powerful that dramatic regional variations for suites of traits no longer exist.​

Question 32

In the past 40 years, genetic and biochemical studies have confirmed that humans are closely related to all of the following except:​

A)​bonobos
B)​gorillas
C)​gibbons
D)​baboons

Question 33

Which of the following statements is correct?​

A)​Biological change in a species requires many generations.
B)​Cultural change is almost always slower than biological change.
C)​All cultural changes correspond to biological changes.
D)​Within the same species, there are no group biological changes.

Question 34

In which geological time period did the first hominoids appear in what is now Asia, Africa, and Europe?​

A)​Oligocene
B)​Eocene
C)​Pliocene
D)​Miocene

Question 35

What is continental drift?​

A)​slow, gradual migration of the earth's surface due to the earth's rotation
B)​movement of the continents due to catastrophic events
C)​movement of the earth's surface over time due to magnetic north
D)​movement of the earth's surface over time due to plate tectonics

Question 36

Which kind of biological evidence is most often used to account for change in human species?​

A)​size and shape of pelvis
B)​length of spinal column
C)​size and shape of the skull
D)​existence of a brain

Question 37

Which of the following statements is most accurate?​

A)​Primates have cultural and biological evolution to ensure biological success.
B)​Because of culture, humans have progressed much further biologically than other animals.
C)​Humans are more biologically successful than other animals.
D)​Each species follows a distinctive evolutionary course to ensure biological success.

Question 38

Paleoanthropologists find the first evidences of human culture around:​

A)​2.6 million years ago
B)​4.4 million years ago
C)​1.2 million years ago
D)​3.8 million years ago

Question 39

Many of the Old World anthropoid species specifically became:​

A)​bipedal
B)​ground dwellers
C)​nocturnal
D)​insect eaters

Question 40

The earliest primates had all of the following characteristics except:​

A)​they were relatively small animals
B)​they were insect eaters
C)​they were arboreal
D)​they were diurnal mammals

Question 41

Ardipithecus ramidus was:​

A)​discovered in Chad, central Africa, and suggests that the human-chimp-gorilla split occurred earlier than we previously thought
B)​discovered in the Awash River Basin area of Ethiopia and was an early biped that lived in a forested environment
C)​discovered in Kenya and is a direct ancestor to Homo sapiens
D)​discovered in Tanzania, lived in a lush tropical environment, and has three separate species associated with it

Question 42

The earliest discovered human tools are dated at about:​

A)​4.4 million years
B)​1.0 million years ago
C)​7.5 million years ago
D)​2.6 million years ago

Question 43

What dietary challenge would early humans on the savannahs have faced?​

A)​difficulty in finding adequate vegetable resources
B)​difficulty in processing vegetable foods
C)​difficulty in satisfying protein requirements
D)​difficulty in finding prey

Question 44

Bipedalism confers each of the following advantages over quadrupeds except:​

A)​making and using tools
B)​walking distances with less exhaustion
C)​standing taller per body size
D)​running faster

Question 45

Which australopithecine subsisted more on meat than the other?​

A)​gracile australopithecines
B)​robust australopithecines
C)​savannah australopithecines
D)​Australopithecus ethiopeansis

Question 46

The earliest definite australopithecine fossils date back to around how many years ago?​

A)​3.6 million years
B)​4.3 million years
C)​23 million years
D)​2.4 million years

Question 47

Between 5 and 15 million years ago, various types of hominoids lived throughout Africa and Eurasia. Which of the following was not associated with that time period?​

A)​Toumai
B)​Orrorin
C)​Ardipithecus
D)​Australopithecus

Question 48

How does the spinal column differ between an adult human and a chimpanzee?​

A)​The chimpanzee spine is straight, whereas the human spine has one long curve.
B)​The human spine is straight, whereas the chimpanzee spine is curved.
C)​A chimpanzee spine has a series of convex and concave curves.
D)​A human spine has a series of convex and concave curves.

Question 49

The Oldowan tool tradition is primarily associated with what group of early human ancestors?​

A)​Homo habilis
B)​Australopithecines
C)​Homo erectus
D)​Homo sapiens

Question 50

What was significant about the Laetoli site in Tanzania?​

A)​It was where the earliest human ancestors were found 7 million years ago.
B)​It was the site where the earliest biped was excavated in 1978.
C)​It was the site where volcanic ash preserved the remains of 36 human beings.
D)​It was the site where foot impressions of a biped were preserved from 3.6 million years ago.

Question 51

Studies of human childbirth indicate that the infant mortality rate in most countries is least associated with:​

A)​the low social status of women
B)​infectious diseases
C)​size of birth canal and difficulty of human childbirth
D)​malnutrition

Question 52

What is the primary problem with the "man the hunter" theory of human evolution from the 1960s and 70s?​

A)​The tools that early humans had were not effective in killing large-game animals.
B)​In most contemporary cultures, women do the large-game hunting.
C)​It diminishes or ignores the contributions that women have made to human evolution.
D)​There were no animals that humans would have been capable of killing in Africa at the time of early human history.

Question 53

Which of the following hominids is believed to be the first toolmaker as evidenced by the current fossil record?​

A)​Homo habilis
B)​Homo erectus
C)​Homo sapiens
D)​Australopithecines

Question 54

Which of the following is not an advantage of bipedalism among humans?​

A)​an ability to use free hands for carrying objects and making tools
B)​an increased exposure to ultraviolet sun radiation
C)​an ability to walk efficiently and for longer distances
D)​more visual acuity over distances

Question 55

Which of the following is not found characteristically in bipeds?​

A)​balanced skull
B)​curved spine
C)​arched feet
D)​opposable big toe

Question 56

For a hominoid fossil to be definitively classified as part of the human evolutionary line, there must be certain evidence of:​

A)​bipedalism
B)​an elongated skeletal frame
C)​a large brain
D)​meat eating

Question 57

Why does your textbook classify early human ancestors using the genus "australopithecines" instead of a series of species?​

A)​This was a transitional species in the fossil record.
B)​Scientists have found very few specimens and are not sure if this is a category.
C)​There is little diversity in this group of human ancestors.
D)​It is unclear exactly how many species exist.

Question 58

Which of the following is not an accurate depiction of the australopithecines?​

A)​Females had larger bodies than males.
B)​Brain size was comparable per body size to that of modern African apes.
C)​They had a well-developed musculature.
D)​They were not as large or tall as modern-day humans.

Question 59

On a human skull, how is the foramen magnum positioned to demonstrate bipedalism?​

A)​It is opened at an angle so that the spinal cord emerges almost horizontally.
B)​It is primarily positioned on the right of the skull to indicate right-handedness.
C)​It is lower and positioned more forward on the skull.
D)​It is positioned on top of the skull and allows the skull plates to suture together after birth.

Question 60

Which of the following best illustrates human childbirth?​

A)​Human infants today are much less likely to die during childbirth because the birth canal is significantly larger than it was 200,000 years ago.
B)​Human infants are much more susceptible to death during childbirth now that human heads are comparatively larger.
C)​Biological evolution is completely dependent on cultural practices.
D)​Cultural beliefs and practices mark every aspect of birth.

Question 61

Which of the following statements about punctuated equilibria and Darwinian gradualism is best supported by the fossil record?​

A)​Neither model clearly explains the changes we see in the fossil record.
B)​Darwinian gradualism is most supported in the fossil record.
C)​Punctuated equilibria is most supported within the fossil record.
D)​Both models of evolutionary change are in evidence in the record.

Question 62

Which of the following best represents Mousterian tools?​

A)​digging sticks
B)​smaller flake tools in a variety of forms
C)​pebble tools and microliths
D)​large hand axes and few other forms

Question 63

Remains in southern Africa suggest that Homo erectus may have learned to use fire by:​

A)​2 million years ago
B)​1 million years ago
C)​750,000 years ago
D)​500,000 years ago

Question 64

Analyses of early toolmakers indicate that they were overwhelmingly:​

A)​left-handed
B)​right-handed
C)​ambidextrous
D)​lacking handedness

Question 65

New evidence suggests that early humans depended less on hunting than:​

A)​trapping
B)​scavenging
C)​fishing
D)​luring

Question 66

A small cache of human fossils found at Atapuerca, Spain, seem to indicate a transition between two human species:​

A)​Homo erectus and Homo sapiens
B)​Homo habilis and Homo erectus
C)​Neandertal and Homo sapiens
D)​gracile australopithecines and robust australopithecines

Question 67

The hallmark of the Acheulean tool tradition was the:​

A)​hand axe
B)​projectile point
C)​pebble tool
D)​scraper

Question 68

Neandertals are now considered members of the genus:​

A)​Australopithecus
B)​Homo
C)​Ardipithecus
D)​Cro-Magnon

Question 69

Mousterian tools are most associated with:​

A)​Homo erectus
B)​Homo habilis
C)​Neandertal
D)​Denisovans

Question 70

Based on current evidence, Homo erectus first appeared in:​

A)​Europe, about 2 million years ago
B)​Laurasia, about 4 million years ago
C)​Africa, about 1 million years ago
D)​Africa, about 2 million years ago

Question 71

Which of the following is not in common between lumpers and splitters?​

A)​Both represent perspectives about evolutionary relationships.
B)​Both are approaches to naming fossils.
C)​Both allow researchers to group fossil diversity.
D)​Both allow researchers to acknowledge all biological diversity.

Question 72

Which of the following represents a basic approach to naming species in the fossil record?​

A)​lumping
B)​arborealism
C)​bipedalism
D)​cloning

Question 73

All of the following advantages are conferred by obsidian except:​

A)​it allows a surgeon greater control over cutting
B)​it can be made sharper than conventional sources for blades
C)​it is harder than conventional sources for blades
D)​it is always very difficult to obtain

Question 74

Homo erectus placed a new emphasis on:​

A)​larger tools
B)​smaller tools
C)​more multipurpose tools
D)​pebble tools

Question 75

All of the following are advantages associated with cooking food except:​

A)​it kills parasites and makes foods healthier
B)​it detoxifies foods
C)​it softens food and makes it easier to chew
D)​it makes most foods less nutritious

Question 76

Which cultural practice most contributes to Neandertals' rather frequent appearance in the fossil record?​

A)​burial of the dead
B)​development of flake technology
C)​migration within a known area
D)​cave dwelling

Question 77

What tool did Irven DeVore fashion for his own surgery?​

A)​a diamond scalpel
B)​a pebble tool
C)​a steel blade
D)​an obsidian scalpel

Question 78

The development of handedness is associated most directly with:​

A)​bipedalism
B)​language abilities
C)​use of fire
D)​stone tools

Question 79

Although all of the following may have been critical to the development of an expanding brain, which do scientists believe would have contributed most directly to brain growth?​

A)​the migration into colder and less known areas placing a premium on learning
B)​a genetic mutation resulting in a smaller jawbone and smaller facial muscles
C)​the detoxification of foods, allowing humans to live to significantly older ages
D)​the ability to conquer predators, allowing humans higher meat consumption levels

Question 80

Neandertals commonly had all of the following physical characteristics except:​

A)​ large, powerful neck muscles
B)​a sloping forehead
C)​protruding chin
D)​prominent bony ridge over the eyes