Question 1

Who was convicted for ignoring Tennessee's law against teaching evolution in a high school biology class:

Accepted Answer

John Scopes was convicted for ignoring Tennessee's law against teaching evolution in a high school biology class. This trial became known as the Scopes Monkey Trial and was a widely publicized event in the history of science education in the United States.

Question 2

Experts do NOT identify which species as belonging to the Homo family?

Accepted Answer

Homo australopithecus is not a valid species name as it is a combination of the genus name Homo and the species name Australopithecus. The correct species names in the Homo family are Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens.

Question 3

The high incidence of retinitis pigmentosa on the island of Tristan da Cunha illustrates which principle in operation?

Accepted Answer

The high incidence of retinitis pigmentosa on the isolated island of Tristan da Cunha is most likely caused by genetic drift. Genetic drift is a random change in allele frequencies in a population, and on an isolated island like Tristan da Cunha, small population size and limited gene flow can lead to genetic drift having a greater impact on the population over time. This can result in certain alleles becoming more common, such as the allele for retinitis pigmentosa in this case. The other choices are not as appropriate, as macro-evolution refers to large-scale evolutionary changes over long periods of time, micro-evolution describes the changes in allele frequencies within populations, and genotype and phenotype refer to specific genetic and physical traits, respectively.

Question 4

Variation within species and reproductive success are widely regarded as the dual pillars of the theory of natural selection.

Accepted Answer

Variation within species allows for certain individuals to have traits that are better suited for survival and reproduction. These advantageous traits increase the likelihood of reproductive success, which in turn allows these traits to be passed down to future generations through natural selection. Thus, variation within species and reproductive success are key components of the theory of natural selection.

Question 5

DNA is considered the essential factor determining inherited traits.

Accepted Answer

DNA contains the genetic information that is passed down from parents to offspring and is responsible for determining inherited traits.

Question 6

Not included among anthropology's major sub-fields is:

Accepted Answer

There is no sub-field called "American anthropology." Instead, the four major sub-fields of anthropology are cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology.

Question 7

Archaeology represents the sub-field that includes the greatest number of practitioners.

Accepted Answer

Archaeology is a significant and important sub-field of anthropology, but cultural anthropology typically includes the greatest number of practitioners within the broader field of anthropology.

Question 8

Which approximate date listed below is clearly incorrect:

Accepted Answer

The Agricultural Revolution did not occur until approximately 10,000 years ago, which is well after the last ice age (option E). Option D is incorrect as it suggests the Agricultural Revolution occurred 15,000 years earlier than it did.

Question 9

Roughly what proportion of the American public rejects evolutionary theory:

Accepted Answer

Surveys and studies consistently show that around half of the American public either rejects evolutionary theory outright or has significant doubts about its validity, often due to religious beliefs or a lack of understanding of the science behind evolution.

Question 10

In the taxonomy used for classification in the animal kingdom, the category known as "species" is more general than that known as "genus."

Accepted Answer

The category known as "genus" is more general than that known as "species." The hierarchy goes: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.

Question 11

The ethnography as a research tool in anthropology did not emerge until the 1980s.

Accepted Answer

The use of ethnography as a research tool in anthropology emerged much earlier, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Anthropologists such as Franz Boas and Bronislaw Malinowski were known for their ethnographic research during this time period.

Question 12

The anthropological perspective includes being:

Accepted Answer

The anthropological perspective is multi-disciplinary in that it draws on knowledge from various fields such as history, sociology, linguistics, and biology, among others. It is holistic in that it considers all aspects of human experience, including social, cultural, biological, and environmental factors. It is also international in its focus on understanding the diversity of human cultures and societies around the world. Therefore, all three choices (A, B, and C) are correct, making choice D the best answer.

Question 13

Charles Darwin's research in the Galapagos Islands experienced a significant breakthrough when he discovered 13 different kinds of finches whose beaks varied in size.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Charles Darwin did indeed discover 13 different kinds of finches in the Galapagos Islands, and he observed that their beak sizes varied depending on the food sources available on each of the different islands. This observation became a major piece of evidence supporting his theory of evolution through natural selection.

Question 14

Mutations can result from:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mutations can result from:
...

Question 15

The anthropological sub-field in which the utilization of artifacts play their most crucial role is the sub-field of cultural anthropology.

Accepted Answer

Archaeology is the anthropological sub-field where the utilization of artifacts plays the most crucial role, as it focuses on the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. Cultural anthropology primarily uses ethnographic methods to understand contemporary living cultures.

Question 16

Anthropologists Raymond Scupin and Christopher DeCorse suggest that anthropology's holistic orientation is particularly well-suited to analyzing the kind of interdependent world that we now find ourselves in.

Accepted Answer

Scupin and DeCorse suggest that anthropology's holistic approach, which considers the interconnectedness of various parts of society, can help in understanding our interdependent world.

Question 17

Case 9.3 about causes of female infanticide suggests that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Case 9.3 about causes of female infanticide...

Question 18

The juxtaposition of the concepts of recessive genes versus dominant genes forms the foundation for the distinction between micro-evolution and macro-evolution.

Accepted Answer

The distinction between micro-evolution and macro-evolution is based on the scale or scope of the evolutionary changes, rather than the concepts of recessive and dominant genes.

Question 19

Today claims to _________concerning archeological digs emanate from field scholars, descendants of relic owners, property owners, and the general public.

Accepted Answer

The term "cultural patrimony" refers to the cultural heritage and artifacts of a particular society or nation. Claims concerning archeological digs typically involve disputes over ownership and control of cultural patrimony, which can involve various stakeholders such as field scholars, descendants of relic owners, property owners, and the general public. The other answer choices are not directly relevant to this context.

Question 20

In trying to comprehend humans as bio-cultural beings, anthropologists are concerned with variation in human behavior:

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists are interested in understanding the variation in human behavior across time and space. This allows them to study how cultural practices and beliefs change over time, as well as how they differ across different societies and locations. By studying this variation, anthropologists are able to gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between biology and culture in shaping human behavior.

Quiz 9: Anthropology and Humans As Bio-Cultural Beings