Deck 6: Ancestral Humans: Understanding the Human Family Tree

Question 1

Molecular and morphological knowledge of living humans and apes supports the idea that humans are more closely related to chimpanzees and gorillas than we are to

A) monkeys
B) tarsiers
C) orangutans
D) lemurs

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is not one of the key benefits of full-time bipedalism?

A) visual surveillance
B) gives humans a choice to climb or walk
C) regulation of body heat
D) carrying objects

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The rough edge stone chopping tools made by early members of the genus Homo are called

A) Olduvai axes
B) Obiwan tools
C) Olduwan tools
D) Homo habilis toolkits

Answer 3

C

Question 4

One of the persistent ideas that has captured the public imagination is that of the "missing link," something paleoanthropologists recognize as impossible due to

A) the non-linear evolutionary processes that have led to our modern form
B) the lack of a complete fossil record that verifies this fact
C) the fact that only accidentally exposed specimens become part of the verifiable record
D) the strong disagreement among researchers about precisely which species is the missing link

Question 5

One compelling argument that favors the adaptation of bipedalism and the ability to run long distances is that early hominins, unlike many of the animals they sought as prey, had

A) the intelligence to run faster
B) the ability to go without water for long distances
C) the ability to sweat
D) tools that allowed them to kill prey from a distance

Question 6

The process through which bone and teeth slowly turn into stone is calles

A) evolution
B) fossilization
C) chronometry
D) devolvement

Question 7

The presence of a raised area in the middle of the cranium found in H. erectus is known as a

A) sagittal crest
B) sagittal keel
C) foramen magnum
D) post orbital constriction

Question 8

Archaic humans can be distinguished both through morphological differences as well as

A) their ability for advanced language and speech
B) their artistic abilities
C) their development of specialized tools
D) the expansion of their dietary choices

Question 9

The argument that modern H. sapiens appeared as a new species in Africa about 200,000 years ago is called the

A) Out of Africa model
B) Recent African Origin model
C) Multiregional Evolution model
D) Multiple Dispersals model

Question 10

The reason that DNA sequencing and morphological analysis cannot give us a complete picture of the evolution of humans is because

A) there will never be sufficient physical evidence
B) humans are continuing to evolve
C) the role of culture was critical
D) loss of evidence sites due to climate change and human encroachment are irreversible

Question 11

Biocultural evolution is the term used to describe how modern humans arrived on the scene, and it encompasses

A) the evolution of culture through biological means
B) the cultural forces that shaped biological growth
C) the separation of selectivity into biological or cultural responses
D) the interaction of biology and culture over time

Question 12

Tool making was an important part of early human cultural development. The gradual improvements led eventually to forms of

A) highly refined blade tools made from the chips of the material used
B) highly refined axes that facilitated construction of shelters
C) axes and blades that were designed for use in war
D) agricultural tools such as hoes and spades that made cultivation easier

Question 13

Orangutans are members of the __________ subfamily.

Question 14

An essential part of bipedalism is the presence of the __________ at the base of the skull.

Question 15

Current research suggests that modern humans emerged from the genus __________.

Question 16

There is reasonable certainty that the lineage from which modern humans emerged appeared __________ mya.

Question 17

The first humans were the group called __________ which emerged some 1.8 mya.

Question 18

Changes in tool making gave humans improved access to __________.

Question 19

The number of early human-like ancestors continues to grow as new discoveries are made, supporting the view that we are all hominins.

Question 20

In the current view of taxonomists, all hominines are hominins.

Question 21

A distinguishing feature of most australopithecines is their high degree of sexual dimorphism.

Question 22

The appearance of culture was the event that signaled the arrival of modern humans.

Question 23

The taxonomic ordering of Homo erectus has been completely resolved through careful fossil analysis.

Question 24

Some of the evidence for very early hominin-like ancestors dates to at least

A) 5 mya
B) 55 mya
C) 22 mya
D) 2.5 mya

Question 25

A primary characteristic that allows paleoanthropologists to place a particular finding into the genus Homo is

A) molar size
B) cranial capacity
C) forehead flatness
D) bipedalism

Question 26

Both H. habilis and H. rudolfensis display a diverse combination of

A) tool-making skills
B) linguistic abilities
C) ancestral and derived characteristics
D) morphological adaptations to climate changes

Question 27

The major component of being human-bipedalism-can, from an anatomical perspective, be either

A) allowing or enforcing
B) enforcing or optional
C) allowing or presenting
D) enforcing or derived

Question 28

While most paleoanthropologists agree that bipedalism was in part a consequence of hunting, the limitation of the argument is that

A) the presence of sharp-edged stone tools does not necessarily signal their use in hunting
B) hunting is only found with fire remains, something that is very difficult to discover in the fossil record
C) the archaeological evidence for hunting appears after the evidence for bipedalism
D) there is no finding to date that places both hunting tools and fossil remains in the same place

Question 29

One possible reason that the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico are able to run vast distances without injury is that

A) their footwear is specially designed to minimize injury
B) they run on surfaces that are smooth and even
C) they have overdeveloped tendons and calf muscles
D) they do not use shoes that interrupt the action of the foot arch

Question 30

Paleoanthropologists believe that the predominant diet of our earliest omnivorous ancestors consisted mostly of

A) meat, tubers, and nuts
B) roots, tubers, and fruits
C) meat and seafood
D) scavenged remains of dead animals and plant forms

Question 31

Discovery of an archaic human in the Denisova cave, which consisted of a finger bone and two teeth, has allowed paleoanthropologists to

A) analyze their mitochondrial DNA
B) reconstruct their entire morphology
C) classify them as a form of Neanderthal
D) identify the "missing link"

Question 32

The emergence of increased cultural capacity in H. erectus can be seen in their changed diet, tools, and

A) an ability to migrate out of environmentally inhospitable regions
B) the use of fire and cooking
C) their ability to store food for harsher climate conditions
D) the extinction of competing species like Neanderthals

Question 33

The gradual emergence of human cultural capacity over several millions years began to

A) undermine the reproductive success of hominins
B) stabilize hominin dietary needs
C) influence evolutionary processes among hominins
D) expand the territory hominins needed for foraging

Question 34

What is the strongest evidence that Neanderthals had rich symbolic lives?

A) the discovery of crude samples of early writing in Neanderthal sites
B) evidence Neanderthals used musical instruments
C) cave paintings that outline a well-organized religious system
D) their use of non-functional material goods such as jewelry

Question 35

If you were a paleoanthropologist looking for an ancient primate fossil, what would you do to increase the likelihood of your success?

A) oxygenate the sediment in your excavation area
B) use colonial maps to locate prime field sites
C) use DNA markers to map the likely migration paths of ancient primates
D) review satellite imagery surveys

Question 36

When beginning a dig, researchers dig a __________, which can reveal information about depth, contents, and stratigraphy of the site of interest.

Question 37

One likely outcome from the development of increased brain size in A. afarensis was __________.

Question 38

The latest thinking among some paleoanthropologists is that Neanderthals and Denisovans never completely disappeared because we can confirm the existence of shared __________.

Question 39

The methods used to remove the breccia that often surrounds fossils can be __________, so sometimes researchers rely on written testimony to back up key assertions.

Question 40

A consequence of larger brain sizes in early humans is that they require larger amounts of energy.

Question 41

One of the most powerful tools used to analyze archaic humans has been through use of mitochondrial DNA.

Question 42

It is rare that the methods of archaeological excavation can destroy the evidence being recorded.

Question 43

If there is no contextual data for a fossil, it can be near impossible to determine its age.

Question 44

When paleoanthropologists uncover ancient hominin fossils, one of the main reasons it is difficult to know if they found a new species is

A) because the remains are often disturbed by other events that can reshape the fossils, making precise identification impossible
B) because competition among paleoanthropologists is strong, and different researchers have different perspectives on the findings
C) because morphological variations are normally found within a single species
D) because present findings are found only in Africa, which limits the scope of available data.

Question 45

If you discovered an ancient hominin with megadontia and a dental grinding structure similar to Paranthropus you might suggest that the diet of this hominin was

A) predominantly meat based
B) predominantly plant based
C) derived from scavenging
D) completely omnivorous

Question 46

If you applied the extended evolutionary synthesis to study the evolution of hominins, you would be most interested in evidence that shows

A) a bottleneck in an australopithecine species
B) gene flow between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans
C) how archaic humans modified their environments through fire and tools
D) the effects of predation on paranthropines

Question 47

The combination of bipedalism, increased cranial capacity, changed diet and tool use, and expanding social relations all suggest that among the first humans

A) biology and culture interacted to shape their evolution
B) one species has the ability to overpower another
C) current environmental problems are in fact caused by human activity
D) environmental degradation is nothing new and started over 2 mya

Question 48

Researchers could conclude that a human ancestor had a higher percentage of meat in the diet based on the changes found in

A) increased brain size which expanded dietary choices
B) the use of fire which made cooking foods possible, reducing disease
C) a smaller gut size that requires higher energy foods
D) their facial morphology, improving their hardiness

Question 49

The use of fossils, DNA analysis, and morphological analysis provides us with a limited perspective on the cultural lives of early humans, even though it is drawn from hard, factual data. This limitation occurs because

A) we simply do not have sufficient evidence from these sources to draw a final conclusion
B) researchers have not yet developed the technology to fully analyze some crucial aspects of this body of evidence
C) there has not yet been a system of analysis that is better than the one provided by biocultural evolutionary thinking
D) "hard" data is more difficult to identify in cultural dynamics and social relationships, which are also a critical part of hominin evolutio

Question 50

If during a hominin fossil excavation, you discovered a full skeleton of what your hunch told you is a transitionary species between Australopithecus and Homo, what kinds of characteristics would you look for to confirm your hunch?

Question 51

What kind of contextual knowledge would you want to have about a fossil in order determine its age?

Question 52

Why is DNA analysis so important in understanding Neanderthals and Denisovans?

Question 53

Discuss the underlying reasons why an increase in cooperative social behavior was part of how the first humans, especially H. erectus, overcame environmental pressures. What kinds of activities helped foster this change? How were dietary changes related to increases in social cooperation?

Question 54

Explain the importance of dating fossils for paleoanthropology. Why are dates and methods for dating so important for the sub-discipline?

Question 55

Although we still don't know the actual sequence of evolutionary changes in hominins that led to the development of bipedalism, large brains, social complexity, and tool-making abilities, drawing on what you know about early hominins and how evolutionary processes work, attempt to theorize a possible sequence of evolutionary changes.

Question 56

If it is true that anatomically modern humans share a certain amount of genetic material with Neanderthals and Denisovans, what do you think this says about relationships between all the hominins that have existed during the past three million years?

Question 57

Drawing on what you know about evolution in general, and early human evolution in particular, explain why nobody has ever discovered "the missing link."

Question 58

Although we do not know exactly when language emerged, what factors do you think might have exercised an influence over the evolution of linguistic ability in the hominin lineage?

Question 59

Hominin evolution occurred in the context of-and was shaped by-changing environmental conditions, including major periods of global warming and cooling. How do you think global warming and cooling might affect those evolutionary processes? What do you think the implications of current warming might mean for the future of human evolution?