Deck 10: Early Hominins and Australopithecus

Question 1

Bipedal walking is more energy efficient __________.

A)than knucklewalking
B)than quadrupedalism
C)when running
D)than arboreal locomotion

Answer 1

than knucklewalking

Question 2

The differences in the pelvis of a biped compared to the pelvis of a quadruped are needed to __________.

A)make walking faster
B)improve balance
C)make the pelvis narrower
D)rotate the legs under the body

Answer 2

improve balance

Question 3

Over time,hominin legs lengthened relative to trunk lengths which __________.

A)made climbing more difficult
B)increased the energy requirements of hominins
C)increased stride length and efficiency
D)decreased the dangers presented by predators

Answer 3

increased stride length and efficiency

Question 4

The fundamental adaptation that defines hominins is __________.

A)tool use
B)complex social interaction
C)increased cranial capacity
D)upright posture

Question 5

While the femur of a quadruped is straight,the femur of a biped is __________.

A)curved
B)angled inward to the knee
C)reduced at the knee
D)angled outward to the knee

Question 6

Which of the following have NOT been suggested as a reason for the development of bipedalism?

A)energetic
B)sexual selection
C)diet
D)tool making

Question 7

The vertebral column is made up of the __________ regions.

A)neck,thorax,lower back and pelvic
B)neck and spinal
C)lumbar and cervical
D)neck,spinal and sacrum

Question 8

The Hominin family includes __________.

A)humans as well as the great apes
B)all extinct human ancestors after the split from the last common ancestor with chimps
C)humans as well as all extinct ancestors after the split from the last common ancestor with chimps
D)all primate ancestors of humans

Question 9

What two skeletal features reveal the orientation of the skull to the vertebral column?

A)neck vertebrae,foramen magnum
B)nuchal plane,occipital bone
C)innominate bone,foramen magnum
D)nuchal plane,foramen magnum

Question 10

Compared to the pelvis of a quadruped,the pelvis of a biped is __________.

A)extremely dense and heavy
B)elongated and fan-shaped
C)broader and bowl-shaped
D)almost the same except for the number of bones

Question 11

According to Dean Falk and Glenn Conroy bipedalism could have developed to __________.

A)make it possible to reach fruit in trees
B)see over tall grasses
C)dissipate heat
D)carry infants

Question 12

Bipeds have a

A)elongated
B)s-shaped curved
C)c-shaped curved
D)straight

Question 13

The __________ is comprised of fused vertebrae and forms the back of the pelvis.

A)thorax
B)c-curve
C)sacrum
D)patella

Question 14

One change necessary to the vertebral column for bipeds is __________.

A)denser bone material in vertebrae
B)an S-shaped curvature
C)a straightening of the vertebral column
D)a complete reconfiguration of muscle attachments

Question 15

A bipedal foot contains both a transverse and a longitudinal arch.

Question 16

Today,humans are the only bipedal mammals.

Question 17

Direct physical evidence of human ancestors is obtainable only through __________.

A)environmental reconstruction
B)the fossil record
C)primate studies
D)conjecture

Question 18

If the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and hominins was not a knucklewalker,knucklewalking developed before hominins existed.

Question 19

The length of the arms decreased in hominin species over time because __________.

A)shorter arms improve balance
B)shorter arms increased tool-making ability
C)the arms were no longer weight bearing
D)the arms were used for carrying items

Question 20

Foot arches help reduce the incidence of __________ to the lower leg.

A)sprains
B)torn muscles
C)bone spurs
D)fatigue fractures

Question 21

The Toumai fossil,or Sahelanthropus tchadensis was discovered in __________.

A)Chad
B)Mali
C)Ethiopia
D)Tanzania

Question 22

The tooth enamel of apes is __________ compared to that of hominins.

A)thinner
B)thicker
C)chemically distinct
D)ridged

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of Isbell and Young's model based on crossing open territory to access food sources?

A)an increase in body size
B)an increase in the size of social groups
C)fusion-fission social groups
D)increased efficiency of bipedal locomotion

Question 24

Fossil hominins can be recognized by __________.

A)bipedal characteristics and greatly reduced facial prognathism
B)Increases in the size of the CP3 complex along with a U-shaped dental arcade
C)bipedal characteristics,reduced canine and CP3 complex size and palate shape
D)increased cranial size as well as bipedal characteristics

Question 25

The majority of the fossil evidence of the earliest hominins has come from __________.

A)the Congo Basin in Central Africa
B)the Great Rift Valley of East Africa
C)sub-Saharan regions in Chad and Niger
D)South African caves

Question 26

Research suggests that differences in tool use among chimpanzee populations are the result of __________.

A)genetic differences
B)cultural traditions
C)environmental differences
D)intelligence

Question 27

The concept of homology suggests that ___________ and ___________ should be central to using primate studies to reconstruct hominin behavior.

A)diet,environment
B)intelligence,social complexity
C)morphology,diet
D)social complexity,genetic comparisons

Question 28

The footprints at Laetoli in Tanzania were made by __________.

A)Au africanus
B)Au afarensis
C)H.sapiens
D)H.neanderthalensis

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a reason why the earliest hominin species has not been identified?

A)The fossil record for hominins between 10 and 6 million years ago is poorly represented
B)no hominin finds date from the period from 7 to 4.4 million years ago
C)hominin fossils from the late Miocene are very fragmentary and show only slight differences from apes
D)there are several possible candidates still under analysis

Question 30

Later hominin evolution shows that __________.

A)brain size and facial size vary between larger and smaller
B)facial size decreases while brain size long remains constant
C)brain size increases while facial size long remains constant
D)brain size increases while facial size decreases

Question 31

One potential problem with the Lovejoy model is that __________.

A)it is well established that early hominins were not monogamous
B)it is not possible for males to know exactly when females are fertile
C)sexual dimorphism suggests that early hominins may not have been monogamous
D)early hominins may have reproduced too slowly for the model to work

Question 32

Australopithecines show __________.

A)no reduction of the canine,but partial reduction of the diastema
B)an essentially ape-like dentition
C)some reduction of the canine and partial reduction or absence of the diastema
D)some reduction of the canine,but an ape-like diastema

Question 33

One sexual selection model for bipedalism is __________.

A)it allows females to carry infants
B)it allows males to more effectively protect females
C)it makes males more effective fighters in mating contests
D)it makes males look more impressive during display behavior

Question 34

The anatomical shift from quadrupedalism came after a behavioral shift began in the ape ancestor of the hominin line.

Question 35

A possible ecological scenario for the evolution of bipedalism is that increasing aridity led to deforestation and the need to travel long distances to find fruit.

Question 36

The Toumai fossil is estimated to be __________.

A)between 3.5 million and 4 million years old
B)approximately 9 million years old
C)between 5.2 million and 7 million years old
D)approximately 8 million years old

Question 37

The __________ is a space in the tooth row that allows the canine of the lower jaw to slide past the third premolar in apes and early hominins.

A)maxilla
B)mandible
C)diastema
D)double cusp

Question 38

Terry Deacon's research has shown that brain size in early hominin species __________.

A)was a linear progression favoring greater intelligence
B)was largely the result of sexual dimorphism
C)was the result of brains scaled to different body sizes in hominin species
D)both increased and decreased over time until the appearance of modern humans

Question 39

Natural selection will always select for a bigger brain over other possible solutions if a larger brain is possible.

Question 40

The dental arcade of modern humans is __________,while that of apes is__________.

A)U-shaped,curved
B)larger,smaller
C)prognathic,curved
D)curved,U-shaped

Question 41

Australopithecus afarensis lived from__________.

A)4.2 to 3.5 mya
B)5.1 to 4.5 mya
C)3.9 to 2.9 mya
D)3.2 to 2.5 mya

Question 42

The Taung child belongs to which hominin species?

A)Australopithecus afarensis
B)Australopithecus africanus
C)Australopithecus bahrelghazali
D)Homo erectus

Question 43

Although accomplished as a biped,certain feature such as curved phalanges in the toes and fingers suggest that Australopithecus afarensis ?__________.

A)may have been partially arboreal
B)could have had difficulty walking
C)were also accomplished brachiators
D)could swim quite well

Question 44

The early hominin that has so far been best represented by fossil discoveries is __________.

A)Australopithecus garhi
B)Australopithecus afarensis
C)Sahelanthropus tchadensis
D)Australopithecus boisei

Question 45

The footprints at Laetoli were made by__________.

A)Australopithecus africanus
B)Australopithecus afarensis
C)Australopithecus robustus
D)Australopithecus boisei

Question 46

In eastern Africa fossil finds are often dated using __________ dating techniques,while in southern Africa fossils are usually dated using __________ techniques.

A)absolute,relative
B)relative,absolute
C)radiocarbon,type-analysis
D)seriation,absolute

Question 47

Australopithecus afarensis shows ___________ sexual dimorphism.

A)little
B)no
C)extreme
D)average

Question 48

The famous fossil specimen "Lucy" is a representative of which Australopithecine species?

A)anamensis
B)afarensis
C)africanus
D)garhi

Question 49

The high degree of sexual dimorphism in A.afarensis suggests __________.

A)that individuals of the species lived alone
B)that the species was monogamous
C)that the social group was comprised of a nuclear family
D)that the species was not monogamous

Question 50

The oldest known stone tools come from Bouri and Gona,Ethiopia and date to about __________.

A)3 million years ago
B)2.5 million years ago
C)2 million years ago
D)1.7 million years ago

Question 51

The Taung child was identified by __________.

A)Mary Leakey
B)Richard Leakey
C)Donald Johanson
D)Raymond Dart

Question 52

__________ is a cement-like matrix of fossilized rock and bone.

A)Slag
B)Granite
C)Breccia
D)Basalt

Question 53

The earliest definite biped currently known is __________.

A)Australopithecus afarensis
B)Ardipithecus ramidus
C)Australopithecus robustus
D)Australopithecus anamensis

Question 54

Most Australopithecus africanus finds have been dated to between __________.

A)4.3 to 3.5 mya
B)3 to 1.5 mya
C)3.5 to 2.4 mya
D)4 to 1.2 mya

Question 55

Lucy is significant because __________.

A)of her surprisingly small brain size
B)the very early date of the specimen
C)the very complete nature of the skeleton
D)it is the sole representative of the afarensis species

Question 56

At present the most likely candidate for the stem hominin is _________.

A)Australopithecus anamensis
B)Orrorin tugenensis
C)Ardipithecus ramidus
D)Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Question 57

With respect to cranial capacity and dentition Australopithecus afarensis may be considered __________.

A)far more apelike than human
B)intermediate between living apes and modern humans
C)more human than apelike
D)completely distinct from both living apes and modern humans

Question 58

The only two species of early hominin known from western Africa are __________.

A)Australopithecus afarensis and Ardipithecus ramidus
B)Orrorin tugenensis and Sahelanthropus tchadensis
C)Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Austrolapithecus bahrelghazali
D)Australopithecus africanus and Ardipithecus ramidus

Question 59

The cranial capacity range for Australopithecus afarensis is__________.

A)400-650 cc
B)350-500 cc
C)320-450 cc
D)500-650 cc

Question 60

Martin Pickford and Brigitte Senut have claimed Orrorin tugensis to be a biped based on __________.

A)a nearly complete pelvis
B)tarsal and metatarsal fragments
C)femoral fragments
D)cranial fragments

Question 61

Summarize ecological and dietary scenarios for the evolution of bipedalism.

Question 62

What features of Australopithecus sediba separate it anatomically from other Australopithecines?

Question 63

Australopithecus robustus represents robust australopithecines in__________.

A)Ethiopia
B)east Africa
C)southern Africa
D)Kenya

Question 64

In considering possible ancestors to the genus Homo,a good ancestor would NOT have which trait?

A)be highly specialized
B)be less derived than potential descendants
C)exist substantially earlier than descendant groups
D)have characteristics that will develop further in descendant groups

Question 65

Summarize energetic efficiency scenarios for the evolution of bipedalism.What are some advantages and disadvantages of these scenarios?

Question 66

Unique to Australopithecus sediba compared to other Australopithecines __________.

A)were a range of anatomical traits quite similar to later members of genus Homo
B)was a large brain,out of proportion to body size
C)was a canine tooth sharpening complex similar to the modern gorilla
D)were shorter arms than average

Question 67

Most scientists agree that __________ is the most likely root ancestor of the australopithecines.

A)Au.aethiopicus
B)Au.anamensis
C)Au.bahrelghazali
D)K.playtops

Question 68

Describe the anatomical changes that are required for the transition from quadrupedalism to bipedalism.Be sure to include changes in the legs,feet,pelvis,spinal column and skull.

Question 69

The other animals at Au.africanus sites suggest that these hominins were living in __________.

A)water
B)open plains
C)mountainous terrain
D)open woodlands

Question 70

Australopithecine species that shared the same environments at the same time show __________.

A)the quick extinction of one of the species based on food competition
B)a symbiotic relationship between the species
C)morphological differences that suggest a lack of direct competition for food
D)evidence for interbreeding between the species

Question 71

Robust australopithecines exhibit a group of adaptations that indicate they were specialized for __________.

A)defending themselves against predators
B)hard object feeding
C)carrying large loads over distances
D)hunting small to medium sized animals

Question 72

Outline the known characteristics of Sahelanthropus tchadensis,Orrorin tugenensis,and Ardipithecus ramidus including locations and dates.Which of these is considered the best candidate as the ancestor of hominins? Why is there still disagreement over the ancestry of hominins?

Question 73

In order to accommodate massive jaw muscles robust australopithecines have flared __________.

A)sagittal crests
B)mandibles
C)brow ridges
D)zygomatic arches

Question 74

Discuss the Lovejoy hypothesis for the evolution of bipedalism.What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Question 75

Robust australopithecines probably had a diet that was __________.

A)highly variable but completely vegetarian
B)composed completely of tough roots and nuts
C)highly variable and omnivorous
D)specialized for eating termites

Question 76

How do the taxonomic classifications of hominins versus hominins differ? What kinds of evidence do the two use? What conclusions does each reach?

Question 77

Discuss the role of primate studies in developing models for the origins of bipedalism and human intelligence.In what ways are they valuable? What limitations are there in the use of such studies?

Question 78

Australopithecus boisei lived between __________.

A)2.3 and 1.2 mya
B)3.1 and 2.5 mya
C)3.5 and 2.2 mya
D)2.3 and 1.5 mya

Question 79

Compare and contrast the dentition of hominoids and humans.In what ways does the dentition of early hominins show the transition between the two?

Question 80

At 2.5 million years ago __________ were all contemporaries on the African continent.

A)A.robustus,A.afarensis and A.garhi
B)A.aethiopicus,A.anamensis,and A.africanus
C)A.boisei,A.anamensis,and A.robustus
D)A.garhi,A.aethiopicus,and A.africanus