Question 1

From the perspective of subsistence,how do the Aka of South Africa compare to the Blackfoot of western Canada?

Accepted Answer

Both the Aka of South Africa and the Blackfoot of western Canada follow a subsistence strategy based on foraging. They rely on hunting, gathering, and fishing to meet their basic needs. Although they live in different regions and have unique cultural practices, their subsistence strategies are similar in their reliance on natural resources.

Question 2

An ecosystem is composed of the physical environment and the organisms living in it.Which of the following is the most important aspect of adaptation for humans?

Accepted Answer

Culture is the most important aspect of adaptation for humans because it encompasses a wide variety of learned behaviors and practices that allow humans to survive and thrive in diverse environments. Culture includes things like language, social norms, traditions, and beliefs that shape how humans interact with each other and with their environment. While tools, technology, and subsistence economy are also important aspects of human adaptation, they are all contingent on the development and transmission of cultural knowledge and practices.

Question 3

Which of the following statements best describes food-foraging societies?

Accepted Answer

Food-foraging societies often inhabit marginal environmental areas because these locations are less suitable for agricultural or urban development, allowing for the continuation of foraging lifestyles. These societies adapt to their environments and typically have sustainable relationships with their ecosystems.

Question 4

What is the main adaptation of the pygmies?

Accepted Answer

The main adaptation of the pygmies is foraging, which involves hunting, gathering, and fishing. This lifestyle allows them to survive in the forest environment in which they reside. They also practice some swidden farming, but it is not their main adaptation. Simple agriculture and mixed economy are not typically associated with pygmy cultures.

Question 5

What does the term "adaptation" refer to?

Accepted Answer

Adaptation refers to the process by which organisms modify and adjust to their environment in order to survive and reproduce. This can include physical, behavioral, and physiological changes.

Question 6

What did all food foragers have in common 10,000 years ago?

Accepted Answer

All food foragers 10,000 years ago lived in environments with abundant natural resources such as forests, rivers, and coastal areas, which provided them with a variety of food sources such as wild plants, game, and fish. This allowed them to have relatively easy access to food and also gave them more leisure time for other activities.

Question 7

What adaptation did the Cree and Ojibwa make when they moved onto the western plains?

Accepted Answer

The Cree and Ojibwa adopted a bison-hunting nomadic lifestyle when they moved onto the western plains, which was a necessary adaptation to survive in the new environment where bison was the primary source of food and clothing.

Question 8

How did Thomas Hobbes mistakenly describe the lives of foragers?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Hobbes mistakenly described the lives of foragers as solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. This view has since been challenged by anthropological research that has shown that forager communities can have rich social lives and relatively high levels of wellbeing.

Question 9

Which of the following is true of individuals who inherited the sickle-cell trait from one parent and a normal gene from the other parent?

Accepted Answer

Individuals with one sickle-cell gene and one normal gene (heterozygotes) have a resistance to malaria, which is an advantage in regions where malaria is prevalent. This resistance is why the sickle-cell trait was favored by natural selection in these areas.

Question 10

What were the Ojibwa one of the first groups to do after the arrival of Europeans?

Accepted Answer

The Ojibwa were one of the early groups to engage in the fur trade with Europeans, which greatly impacted their way of life and economy.

Question 11

From a work perspective,how do people in contemporary Western industrial societies compare to the modern Ju/'hoansi of the Kalahari Desert?

Accepted Answer

The modern Ju/'hoansi typically work around 2-3 hours a day, whereas people in Western industrial societies generally work longer hours, typically averaging 8 hours a day or more. Therefore, people in Western industrial societies work slightly longer hours than the Kalahari people.

Question 12

What percentage of all the people who have ever lived used food foraging as their subsistence strategy.

Accepted Answer

For most of human history, societies were hunter-gatherers, relying on foraging for their subsistence. This lifestyle persisted until the advent of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. Given the span of human existence, it's estimated that around 90 percent of that time was spent in hunter-gatherer societies.

Question 13

The importance of human ecological relationships is shown by the pig festivals among the Tsembaga of New Guinea.What purposes do those festivals serve?

Accepted Answer

The pig festivals among the Tsembaga of New Guinea serve to mark the end of hostilities and help in reducing the strain on food supplies by redistributing resources and fostering peace, which is essential in maintaining the balance within their ecological and social systems.

Question 14

Why did the Assiniboine people live in small nomadic bands?

Accepted Answer

The Assiniboine people were nomadic because they depended on hunting wild bison for their primary source of food, clothing, and shelter. As the bison migrated across the Prairie, the Assiniboine also moved in small bands to follow them.

Question 15

A particular trait may be neither bad nor good in itself;whether it is adaptive or not depends on the relationship between the organisms that have this trait and their particular environment.Which of the following diseases illustrates this point?

Accepted Answer

Sickle-cell anemia is an example of a trait that can be adaptive or maladaptive depending on the environment. In areas with a high incidence of malaria, individuals with sickle-cell anemia have an advantage because the sickled shape of their red blood cells makes it difficult for the malaria parasite to multiply. However, in areas without malaria, sickle-cell anemia can be a debilitating and potentially deadly disease.

Question 16

What did the Ojibwa do after moving onto the Plains?

Accepted Answer

The passage states that the Ojibwa adopted Plains rituals into their culture: "They also...adopted some Plains rituals and ceremonies." Therefore, choice (A) is the correct answer. Choices (B), (C), and (D) are not supported by the passage.

Question 17

Approximately how long have pygmies lived in the forests of Africa?

Accepted Answer

Pygmies have lived in the forests of Africa for many thousands of years, with archaeological evidence suggesting they were present in the Congo basin as far back as 70,000 years ago.

Question 18

Which of the following best defines the term "subsistence pattern"?

Accepted Answer

A subsistence pattern refers to the strategies a group uses to obtain and exploit food resources for survival. This includes techniques for hunting, fishing, gathering, and agriculture. Other aspects of subsistence patterns may include food storage and preservation, distribution of resources within the group, and relationships with other groups in the area.

Question 19

Which of the following do all food foragers have in common?

Accepted Answer

All food foragers share the characteristic of not farming or keeping herd animals. This is a defining feature of foragers as they rely on hunting, gathering, and fishing to meet their nutritional needs.

Question 20

Which term refers to environmental change through human influence?

Accepted Answer

Anthropogenesis refers to environmental change through human influence.

Quiz 5: Making a Living