Question 1

Which of the following is true of electron-spin-resonance dating?

Accepted Answer

Electron-spin-resonance dating uses a magnetic field to count the number of trapped electrons in apatite crystals. It can be used on a variety of materials including teeth, bones, and shells.

Question 2

Modern orangutans most likely evolved from

Accepted Answer

Studies suggest that Sivapithecus is the most likely ancestor of modern orangutans, as they share several key traits and have been found in the same geographic regions. While the other options listed may have some evolutionary relationship with orangutans, current evidence supports Sivapithecus as the most direct ancestor.

Question 3

Which of the following is true of the concentration of ¹⁸O in seawater?

Accepted Answer

The article states that the concentration of ¹⁸O in seawater is high during glacial periods.

Question 4

Apes from the Middle Miocene adapted to have ________ because they ate harder foods than their predecessors.

Accepted Answer

Apes from the Middle Miocene adapted to have molars with thick enamel and rounded cusps because they ate harder foods than their predecessors. This adaptation allowed them to better process tough plant materials.

Question 5

________ is a derived feature that Proconsul shares with living apes and humans.

Accepted Answer

The absence of a tail is a feature that Proconsul shares with living apes and humans, but not with other primates such as monkeys. This suggests a close evolutionary relationship between Proconsul and the lineage that led to modern apes and humans.

Question 6

Robert Martin simulated the evolution of primates in relation to our ability to find ancient species and estimated that the current sample of fossil primates represents ________% of those that ever lived.

Accepted Answer

Robert Martin estimated that the current sample of fossil primates represents only about 3% of those that ever lived, highlighting the vast number of species that remain undiscovered or have left no trace in the fossil record.

Question 7

Many paleontologists focus on teeth for several reasons, including that

Accepted Answer

Teeth are not remodeled during an individual's life, so they carry a record of the animal's entire life history. This allows paleontologists to study the morphology and wear patterns of an animal's teeth to determine its diet, behavior, and evolutionary history.

Question 8

________ provides the first evidence for suspensory locomotion among the fossil hominoids.

Accepted Answer

Morotopithecus fossils from Uganda show evidence of adaptations for suspensory locomotion, including a flexible spine and long forelimbs, indicating that this early hominoid may have moved through trees using a form of brachiation similar to modern gibbons. Dryopithecus, Chororapithecus, and Proconsul are also fossil hominoids, but there is not conclusive evidence for suspensory locomotion in those species.

Question 9

Although Pierolapithecus shared some derived morphological characteristics with modern great apes, it lacked

Accepted Answer

The answer of Although Pierolapithecus shared some derived morphological characteristics...

Question 10

The first hominoid, known as Proconsul, appeared

Accepted Answer

Proconsul is the first known hominoid, and it appeared in Africa during the Miocene in a woodland environment.

Question 11

Which of the following characteristics did the first hominoids share with modern apes?

Accepted Answer

Hominoids, including the earliest forms, generally had larger brains compared to monkeys, which is a trait shared with modern apes. This characteristic is part of what distinguishes hominoids from other primates.

Question 12

Compare and contrast the three families of Fayum haplorrhines (oligopithecids, parapithecids, and propliopithecids). What characteristics did they share with living groups of primates?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the three families of...

Question 13

The ratio of ¹⁶O to ¹⁸O in seawater over time estimated from deep-sea sediment cores indicates

Accepted Answer

The ratio of ¹⁶O to ¹⁸O in seawater over time estimated from deep-sea sediment cores indicates an overall cooling trend from about 50 million years ago.

Question 14

Why is it important to consider continental drift when studying primate evolution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is it important to consider continental...

Question 15

Which of the following statements is true of the fossil New World primates?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements is true...

Question 16

Give an example of absolute dating and an example of relative dating. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods and how might they be used together to understand the dating or chronology of a site or set of sites?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Give an example of absolute dating and...

Question 17

Where and in what kind of environment did the earliest primates evolve?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Where and in what kind of environment...

Question 18

Discuss the different hypotheses that the chapter presents for how the first primates adapted to share the same suite of diagnostic characteristics.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the different hypotheses that the chapter...

Question 19

________ are characterized by small incisors and large premolars with sharp crests.

Accepted Answer

Folivores are herbivores that specialize in eating leaves, and as such, they have distinct dental adaptations to help them break down tough plant material. Their teeth are characterized by small incisors and large premolars with sharp crests, which allow them to shear and slice through tough leaves.

Question 20

The hominoid radiation occurred during the

Accepted Answer

The hominoid radiation, which includes the emergence and diversification of apes and hominins, occurred during the Miocene epoch, from approximately 23 million to 5 million years ago. The Eocene and Oligocene epochs did see some primate diversification, but not to the extent of the Miocene. The Pliocene epoch saw the emergence of the genus Homo, but it was not a part of the hominoid radiation.

Quiz 9: From Tree Shrew to Ape