Question 1

Archaic H.sapiens (300,000? to 28,000 B.P.)constitute the earliest members of our species,along with

Accepted Answer

Archaic H. sapiens existed alongside the Neandertals in Europe and the Middle East, as well as their Neandertal-like contemporaries in Africa and Asia. This is supported by genetic evidence and archaeological findings. The other options are either different species or not closely related to H. sapiens.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT associated with H.erectus?

Accepted Answer

Cave paintings are not associated with H. erectus as they are more commonly associated with later hominid species such as H. sapiens. H. erectus is known for its massive ridge over the eyebrows, more sophisticated toolmaking, the use of fire, and the development of Acheulean tools.

Question 3

Which of the following is a difference between Homo erectus and the australopithecines?

Accepted Answer

The cranial capacity of Homo erectus was much larger than that of the australopithecines, indicating a significant evolutionary development in brain size and complexity.

Question 4

The fossil finds near Beijing,China (including the Zhoukoudian cave)yielded the remains of more than 40 specimens of

Accepted Answer

The fossil finds near Beijing, China, including the Zhoukoudian cave, have yielded the remains of more than 40 specimens of Homo erectus.

Question 5

The spread of H.erectus from tropical and subtropical climates into temperate zones was facilitated by all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Blade-toolmaking traditions were not necessarily a factor in the spread of H. erectus into temperate zones. Other factors such as the use of fire for both defense and cooking, living in rock shelters and caves, and increasingly efficient hunting methods would have been more important for survival in colder environments.

Question 6

One fairly complete skull,one large mandible,and two partial skulls were found in the 1990s at the Dmanisi site in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia.Dated to 1.7 to 1.77 m.y.a.,these fossils

Accepted Answer

The fossils found at the Dmanisi site in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia are dated to 1.7 to 1.77 m.y.a., which suggests a rapid spread of early Homo out of Africa and into Eurasia.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about Homo erectus fossils is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

Homo erectus fossils are characterized by features such as a thickening of the skull wall and association with Acheulean stone tools, indicating hunting proficiency and cultural adaptation. However, the statement about hyperrobust chewing muscles and broad, flat molars is not true for Homo erectus; these traits are more characteristic of other hominin species, such as Paranthropus, known for their robust cranial and dental features adapted for heavy chewing.

Question 8

What is the name of the time period that evolved out of the Oldowan,or pebble tool,tradition and lasted until about 15,000 years ago?

Accepted Answer

The Paleolithic period evolved out of the Oldowan tradition and lasted until about 15,000 years ago, characterized by the development of more advanced stone tools.

Question 9

The geological epoch known as the ________ has been considered the epoch of early human life.

Accepted Answer

The Pleistocene epoch, which began about 2.6 million years ago and ended around 11,700 years ago, is commonly referred to as the epoch of early human life because many of the hominid species, including Homo sapiens, evolved and thrived during this time period.

Question 10

H.erectus is generally associated with which of the following technologies?

Accepted Answer

H. erectus is generally associated with the Acheulean technology, characterized by the production of distinctive bifacial stone tools.

Question 11

Which of the following sites is NOT included in the probable range of H.erectus?

Accepted Answer

H. erectus is not known to have inhabited Alaska.

Question 12

Excavations between Bed I and Bed II at Olduvai suggest that significant changes in technology occurred during a comparatively short 200,000-year period.The tools found illustrate a shift toward functional differentiation,which means that

Accepted Answer

The sentence "a shift toward functional differentiation" implies that the tools were being made and used for different jobs, such as smashing bones or digging for tubers.

Question 13

Scientists continue to debate the relationship between two Homo fossil finds: KNM-ER 1470,named H.rudolfensis by some,and KNM-ER 1813,generally considered to be an exemplar of H.habilis.Is the smaller KNM-ER 1813 a distinct species? Could it be a female version of KNM-ER 1470,both being simply a female and male pair of the highly variable H.habilis? The only sure conclusion is that

Accepted Answer

The passage discusses the debate about the relationship between two Homo fossil finds, KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 1813, and suggests that they may both be examples of a highly variable H. habilis or that they may represent two different species. However, the passage also notes that the only sure conclusion is that several different kinds of hominin lived in Africa before and after the advent of Homo. This suggests that there was a diversity of hominin species in the fossil record, making it difficult to conclusively identify the relationships between different fossils.

Question 14

Which of the following statements describes a key difference between Oldowan and Acheulean tools?

Accepted Answer

The key difference between Oldowan and Acheulean tools is that Acheulean tools, such as the hand ax, represent a predetermined shape based on a template in the mind of the toolmaker, suggesting a cognitive leap between earlier hominins and H. erectus. Oldowan tools, on the other hand, are simpler and smaller, and their production likely did not require as much cognitive ability.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about the appearance of Homo habilis is true?

Accepted Answer

H. habilis was relatively small in stature compared to H. erectus.

None of the other statements in the question are accurate. H. habilis did not evolve from A. boisei; rather, they co-existed for a time. Sedentism is not necessarily linked to H. habilis, and there is no evidence to suggest that H. habilis shifted away from predation or towards vegetarianism. While there is some evidence of H. habilis adapting to an open-grassland environment, this is not related to changes in appearance.

Question 16

What is so significant about the recent fossil finds of an H.erectus and an H.habilis from Ileret,Kenya,east of Lake Turkana?

Accepted Answer

The recent fossil finds of an H. erectus and an H. habilis from Ileret, Kenya, east of Lake Turkana have negated the conventional view held since 1960 that habilis and erectus evolved one after the other. Instead, they lived side by side in eastern Africa for perhaps half a million years. This is significant because it changes our understanding of the evolutionary relationship between these two species and suggests a more complex pattern of coexistence and possible interaction.

Question 17

What have researchers learned by looking at the molars and other cranial features of H.erectus,such as a superorbital torus and an occipital bun?

Accepted Answer

Researchers have found that the molars of H. erectus were larger and more robust than those of earlier hominins, suggesting a shift towards a diet that included tougher food items like meat. Additionally, the presence of a superorbital torus and an occipital bun indicate that H. erectus had a stronger attachment for the muscles involved in chewing, suggesting they had a stronger bite force and could consume tougher foods. Overall, these features suggest that H. erectus was more reliant on hunting and the lifestyle it demanded than earlier hominins.

Question 18

Biological and cultural changes enabled H.erectus to exploit a new adaptive strategy-gathering and hunting.This in turn was crucial for H.erectus to

Accepted Answer

The ability to gather and hunt allowed H.erectus to exploit a wider range of resources, making it possible for them to expand beyond Africa and into Asia and Europe.

Question 19

What is the most likely explanation of why early Homo left Africa and spread into Eurasia?

Accepted Answer

The pursuit of meat is the most widely accepted explanation for why early Homo left Africa and spread into Eurasia. Fossil evidence suggests that early Homo developed stone tools and other technologies for hunting and processing meat, which provided a high-energy, nutrient-rich food source that allowed them to colonize new territories.

Question 20

European fossils and tools have contributed disproportionately to our knowledge and interpretation of early (archaic)H.sapiens.What explains this?

Accepted Answer

Europe has a long history of Paleolithic archaeology compared to other regions, resulting in a larger amount of data and knowledge about early H. sapiens.

Quiz 9: Archaic Homo

Archaic H.sapiens (300,000? to 28,000 B.P.) constitute the earliest members of our species,along with