Question 1

Larsen was interested in how well the people of Stillwater Marsh lived because he wanted to

Accepted Answer

Larsen's interest in the people of Stillwater Marsh and their way of life was primarily academic, aiming to use skeletal data to provide a more objective and scientific assessment of foraging lifeways, rather than relying on subjective or biased views.

Question 2

Bioarchaeology is a specialty that straddles the fields of archaeology and human biology.

Accepted Answer

Bioarchaeology is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles of archaeology and biological anthropology to study human remains within an archaeological context, aiming to understand past peoples and cultures.

Question 3

Ancient cultural practices mix human skeletal remains together, making it difficult to group skeletal remains by individual. Some examples of this mentioned in the text include

Accepted Answer

Both bundle burials and charnal houses involve practices where multiple individuals' remains could be intermingled or placed together, complicating the process of associating specific bones with specific individuals. Bundle burials often involved collecting and reburying the bones of multiple individuals together, while charnal houses were places where bodies were laid out to decompose, sometimes leading to the mixing of skeletal remains.

Question 4

Archaeological research has conclusively proven which of the following about the earliest occupation of the New World?

Accepted Answer

The timing and nature of the initial colonization of the New World remain subjects of ongoing research and debate, with new evidence frequently challenging previous understandings.

Question 5

If stable isotope analysis is conducted on a human skeleton that during life consumed a diet rich in C4 plants such as maize and very little meat, then the isotopic ratios of the bones would show a high ratio of:

Accepted Answer

C4 plants, like maize, have a distinct isotopic signature, leading to a higher ratio of 13C to 12C in the tissues of individuals who consume them. This is because C4 photosynthesis discriminates less against the heavier carbon isotope (13C) compared to C3 plants, resulting in a higher 13C/12C ratio in the consumer's tissues.

Question 6

The "Out of Africa" hypothesis of modern human origins suggests that the earliest modern humans fanned out of Africa to replace other hominids in other parts of the Old World roughly:

Accepted Answer

The "Out of Africa" hypothesis posits that modern humans originated in Africa about 200,000 years ago and then dispersed to other parts of the world, replacing existing hominid populations.

Question 7

In the U.S. conducting research on American Indian remains is a sensitive issue and raises major ethical issues. Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

Some modern archaeologists advocate for stopping the analysis of human remains due to ethical concerns, especially regarding Native American remains.

Question 8

Coprolites from the New World that are 12,000 or more calendar years old:

Accepted Answer

Coprolites that are 12,000 or more years old provide some of the earliest evidence of human presence in North America, offering insights into the diet and lifestyle of ancient peoples.

Question 9

Iron deficiency leaves a distinctive spongy appearance on

Accepted Answer

Iron deficiency leaves a distinctive spongy appearance on the skull.

Question 10

Schoeninger interpreted the greater range of nitrogen isotope ratios in the Stillwater burial population compared to the Pecos or Ontario populations as reflecting:

Accepted Answer

Greater dietary variability in a population is indicated by a wider range of nitrogen isotope ratios, as different foods have different nitrogen signatures. Thus, a greater range of ratios in the Stillwater population suggests they had a more varied diet compared to the Pecos or Ontario populations.

Question 11

Studies of some of the skeletal data of Neanderthals have concluded:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Studies of some of the skeletal data...

Question 12

An individual's age under 25 can be determined by

Accepted Answer

Tooth eruption patterns are used to determine age in individuals under 25, as teeth erupt in a predictable sequence during childhood and adolescence.

Question 13

The idea that the origin of all modern humans can be traced to a single African ancestor ("Eve"):

Accepted Answer

The concept of a mitochondrial "Eve" is based on the study of mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from mother to offspring. This evidence suggests that all modern humans can trace their ancestry back to a single woman, often referred to as "Mitochondrial Eve," who lived in Africa. The idea does not directly imply that Neanderthals and modern humans interbred (that's a separate conclusion drawn from different evidence), nor is it accepted by nearly all biological anthropologists without some debate and nuances regarding human evolution and migration patterns.

Question 14

Studies of from various modern human populations have found:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Studies of from various modern human populations...

Question 15

Bone breakage patterns would be good indicators of interpersonal violence and perhaps even warfare. Unfortunately, healed bone breaks are virtually indistinguishable from unbroken bone in prehistoric populations.

Accepted Answer

Healed bone breaks often leave visible signs on the bone, such as changes in bone structure, deformities, or differences in bone density, which can be identified by anthropologists and archaeologists to study patterns of injury and violence in prehistoric populations.

Question 16

Bioarchaeologists can distinguish male from female skeletons, but only for adults, not young children.

Accepted Answer

Bioarchaeologists can often determine the sex of adult skeletons based on sexually dimorphic traits, but it is much more difficult to accurately determine the sex of young children's skeletons because these traits are not fully developed until puberty.

Question 17

Genetic material found in a cell's nucleus that is primarily responsible for an individual's inherited traits is called

Accepted Answer

Nuclear DNA is the genetic material found in a cell's nucleus and is primarily responsible for determining an individual's inherited traits. It contains the majority of genetic information, including the genes that contribute to physical and physiological characteristics.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of mitochondrial DNA?

Accepted Answer

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited exclusively from the mother, as the mitochondria in the sperm are typically lost during fertilization, meaning that mtDNA is passed down the maternal line without recombination with paternal mtDNA.

Question 19

Although we still have much to learn about the rates at which DNA mutates, current studies show that

Accepted Answer

DNA studies are crucial for understanding historical, evolutionary, and genetic information, which aids in reconstructing the past. The other options do not directly relate to the rates at which DNA mutates.

Question 20

The Stillwater Marsh burial population had a remarkably low percentage of dental caries because:

Accepted Answer

The Stillwater Marsh population were hunter-gatherers, which means their diet was low in simple carbohydrates and starches, leading to fewer dental caries.

Quiz 10: Bioarchaeological Approaches To The Past