Question 1

Which of the following is not a distinctive feature of four-field anthropology?

Accepted Answer

Four-field anthropology includes the study of both contemporary and historical cultures, making option E not a distinctive feature.

Question 2

President Barack Obama's mother, Dr.Ann Durham, was a(n)

Accepted Answer

Ann Durham was a cultural and applied anthropologist, with a focus on economic anthropology and rural development. This was her main area of research and work, which she pursued in various countries including Indonesia, where she met Barack Obama Sr. and later gave birth to their son, Barack Obama.

Question 3

Why is it important to understand that human racial categories are based upon perceptions of phenotypic features and not on genotypes?

Accepted Answer

Human racial categories are socially constructed and not determined by biology or genotypes. This means that perceptions of physical features such as skin color or facial structure are used to categorize individuals, rather than definitive genetic markers. Understanding this concept is important in recognizing the harm of racial discrimination and stereotyping.

Question 4

What are the four main subdisciplines of anthropology?

Accepted Answer

The four main subdisciplines of anthropology are biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, and archaeology, making option C the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because medical anthropology is a subfield within cultural anthropology, and ethnography and ethnology are research methods rather than subdisciplines. Option B is incorrect because applied linguistics and applied anthropology are specialized areas within the subfields, rather than subdisciplines themselves. Option D is incorrect because genetic anthropology and psychological anthropology are not considered separate subdisciplines, but rather incorporated into biological anthropology and cultural anthropology, respectively. Option E is incorrect because paleopathology is a specialized area within biological anthropology, and primatology is a niche area within biological and cultural anthropology.

Question 5

Ethnology is

Accepted Answer

Ethnology is the comparative, generalizing aspect of cultural anthropology. It involves the study and analysis of various cultures and societies in order to identify similarities, differences, and patterns of human behavior and social organization.

Question 6

Anthropology's comparative, biocultural perspective

Accepted Answer

Anthropology's comparative, biocultural perspective allows for the integration of both biological and cultural aspects of human behavior, making it a useful approach for understanding and solving complex issues and problems. This perspective is not limited to the study of nonindustrialized societies and is not exclusively associated with participant observation. It is a fundamental aspect of anthropology, which is considered a social science, but draws on knowledge and methods from both the natural and social sciences.

Question 7

Some populations like the Polynesians, the San, or the people of northern India have phenotypes that do not fit neatly into "standard" racial categories.This suggests that

Accepted Answer

The fact that certain populations do not neatly fit into standard racial categories suggests that human phenotypic variation does not involve discrete races, but rather gradual shifts across different geographic zones. This supports choice B.

Question 8

What is the term for the processes by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses?

Accepted Answer

The term for the processes by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses is adaptation.

Question 9

Today, rather than attempting to classify humans into racial categories, biologists and anthropologists are

Accepted Answer

Biologists and anthropologists are currently seeking to explain why specific biological variations occur among humans rather than attempting to classify individuals into racial categories. This approach recognizes that race is a socially constructed concept rather than a biological one, and that variations within racial categories can be greater than those between them. Therefore, researchers are focusing on understanding the underlying genetic, environmental, and anthropological factors that contribute to biological differences among populations.

Question 10

Why do human populations living in temperate, northern climates generally have light skin color?

Accepted Answer

Light skin color in temperate, northern climates helps with the synthesis of vitamin D in conditions of lower sunlight exposure, which in turn helps to prevent rickets, a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency.

Question 11

The study of interactions among past living things in a past environment is

Accepted Answer

The study of interactions among past living things in a past environment is called paleoecology. Paleoanthropology is the study of early humans and their evolution. Garbology refers to the study of modern waste and its impact on society. Social archaeology focuses on the social and cultural aspects of past societies. Adaptive anthropology is the study of how people adapt to different environments and cultures.

Question 12

The tendency of people living in the Peruvian Andes to develop a voluminous chest and lungs for life at very high altitudes provides an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

The answer of The tendency of people living in the...

Question 13

The pressurized cabin of an airplane flying at high altitude provides an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

The pressurized cabin is a technological development created by humans to adapt to high-altitude environments, which is a cultural adaptation.

Question 14

What distinction does Kottak draw between culture and society?

Accepted Answer

Kottak argues that society is a shared, organized life in groups that is not exclusive to humans, as other animals also exhibit social behavior. Culture, on the other hand, is distinctly human and encompasses the beliefs, values, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a group or society.

Question 15

What term refers to an organism's evident traits, its "manifest biology"?

Accepted Answer

Phenotype refers to an organism's observable physical characteristics, including its morphology, behavior, and development, which reflects the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about anthropology is not true?

Accepted Answer

Anthropology's biocultural approach does not entail finding evolutionary explanations for all human behaviors. While evolutionary explanations may be considered, anthropologists also look at cultural and social factors that influence human behavior.

Question 17

Biological anthropologists study all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Biological anthropologists focus on the biological and physiological aspects of humans and other primates, including topics such as evolution, genetics, and variations in human biology. Ancient languages are studied by linguistic anthropologists, who focus on language and communication across human cultures.

Question 18

What do anthropological archaeologists study?

Accepted Answer

Anthropological archaeologists study material remains, which include artifacts, structures, bones, and other physical objects left behind by past human societies. They analyze these remains to learn about how people lived, worked, and interacted with each other in the past. While language, race, biological adaptation, and modern cultural diversity are all important aspects of anthropology, they are studied by different subfields within the discipline, such as linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology.

Question 19

Which of the following plays a role in determining skin color?

Accepted Answer

Ultraviolet radiation plays a role in determining skin color, specifically through the production of melanin in response to UV exposure.

Question 20

Ethnography is

Accepted Answer

Ethnography is specifically defined as the firsthand, personal study of local settings. While the other answer choices may involve aspects of culture or cross-cultural comparison, they do not accurately describe the definition of ethnography as the study of a specific setting through personal observation and experience.

Quiz 1: What Is Anthropology