Q&A Hero

Q: What is the benefit of an atlatl? a. It is a unique type of projectile point b. It is used for starting fires. c. It is used to increase the force and distance of a spear throw. d. It can be used as a drill e. It is used for fishing.

Q: In most of Africa the earliest metallurgy was based on: a) gold b) copper c) bronze d) iron e) steel

Q: The spread of cattle pastoralism into Southern Africa was limited by the climactic and environmental conditions favored by: a) the early pastoralists themselves b) the humpless variety of cattle c) the tsetse fly d) the humped variety of cattle e) warlike hunter-gatherer groups who were hostile to outsiders

Q: During the last glaciation in Eurasia, a. human habitation was impossible b. the entire area was permanently covered with ice-sheets c. a warming trend at about 30,000 ya partially melted the glacial ice d. hunting was impossible because there were no animals in the region e. Neandertals became extinct.

Q: Depictions of humped and humpless varieties of cattle found in examples of ____________ from Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia provided researchers with information about the adoption of pastoralism in the region. a) embroidered cloth b) rock art c) clay tablets d) gold and silver ornaments e) papyrus

Q: The Upper Paleolithic culture period began in Western Europe about ________ years ago. a. 40,000 b. 10,000 c. 5,000 d. 70,000 e. 100,000

Q: Based on botanical and linguistic evidence, scholars believe that which two important indigenous cultivars were first domesticated in West Africa? a) yams and oil palms b) rice and millet c) squash and bottle gourds d) sorghum and barley e) tobacco and coffee

Q: The Upper Paleolithic culture period is divided into categories based on stone tool technologies. These include all of the following except a. Solutrean b. Magdalenian c. Aurignacian d. Chatelperroonian e. Grottevian

Q: Wild _______ is only native to Africa, yet the domesticated variety of this plant is found in earlier deposits at sites in India and Pakistan than at sites in Africa. a) rice b) maize c) wheat d) barley e) sorghum

Q: The Upper Paleolithic a. began at the onset of the Pleistocene b. is a cultural period attributed primarily to Neandertals c. is characterized by the invention of iron tools d. began about 150,000 years ago e. is divided into five different industries, based on stone tool technologies

Q: The earliest farming in Africa was based on: a) rice cultivation b) domesticated animals c) contact with Europeans d) millet cultivation e) maize cultivation

Q: The skeletal remains of Homo floresiensis are notable for each of the following characteristics or assumptions except a. the short stature. b. the small cranial capacity c. they were living 13,000 years ago. d. their predecessors were perhaps H. erectus populations e. they came to Flores on rafts, the remains of which were recovered from the island of Flores

Q: Because of favorable environmental conditions and ample wild resources, some Egyptian sites such as Wadi Kubbaniya display characteristics of __________ prior to the start of the Holocene. a) state-level society b) urbanization c) sedentism d) rice cultivation e) pyramid building

Q: The Kow Swamp remains a. are more robust than the Lake Mungo remains b. are dated earlier than Lake Mungo remains c. are from central Europe d. were dated from museum collections and therefore dates may be invalid e. suggest that native Australians are later migrants from elsewhere, not descendants of a single migration dating back to about 50,000 ya.

Q: A newly published controversial date for the Lake Mungo remains indicates they may be as old as ________ years. a. 30,000 b. 400,000 c. 10,000 d. 600,000 e. 150,000, or the earliest specimens from Africa

Q: When examining the question of cattle domestication in Africa, available evidence indicates that: a) cattle were never a major component of African subsistence economies b) the practice was introduced from outside of the continent by nomadic people from Southwest Asia c) indigenous cattle were domesticated locally and the practice was not introduced from outside of the continent d) cattle were introduced by settlers from the Yangzi Valley e) African groups in the Holocene considered cattle to be unclean

Q: Archaeological sites in Australia have been dated to __________ years ago. a. 25,000 b. 30,000 c. 75,000 d. 55,000 e. 100,000

Q: Most southern African rock art depicts: a) early written texts b) the Rainbow Serpent c) abstract representations of local plants d) interaction with Europeans e) naturalistic representations of animals and people

Q: The Abrigo do Lagar Velho specimen is an important discovery that aids in the understanding of possible interbreeding between Neandertals and anatomically modern H. sapiens because the remains a. are from Portugal b. are dated to about 50,500 years ago c. the remains are a highly mixed set of anatomical features d. were studied by Erik Trinkaus e. are an incomplete skeleton of an adult female

Q: The use of ethnographic work to assist in the analysis of African archaeological material is possible because of the late survival of: a) waterlogged organic remains b) hunter-gatherer groups in southern Africa c) Egyptian Pharaonic dynasties d) the people of Great Zimbabwe e) all of the above

Q: The appearance of the bow and arrow at some Holocene sites in Africa seems to indicate an emphasis on: a) religion b) agriculture c) hunting d) herding e) ranked society

Q: Barley and wheat cultivation were introduced to Egypt from: a) Southwest Asia b) Europe c) Central Africa d) East Asia e) South Africa

Q: The question of whether modern humans and Neandertals interbred at some point a. was settled about ten years ago b. was never an issue among paleoanthropologists c. is far from settled d. was called into question with the discoveries at Zhoukoudian e. is established based on genetic evidence.

Q: Llama herding spread north from South America through Central America and into the whole of North America becoming a vital part of the subsistence economy of the whole continent.

Q: _______ is a site in southern France dated to 28,000 years ago. Fossil material from this site became the archetype for Upper Paleolithic Europeans.a. Skhlb. La Chapelle-aux-Saintsc. Cro-Magnond. Qafzehe. Zhoukoudian

Q: Europeans introduced domesticated tobacco to the Americas in the early 17th century.

Q: Which of the following sites in western Europe may offer evidence for genetic continuity between Neandertals and modern humans?a. Abrigo do Lagar Velhob. Tabun and Qafzehc. Qafzeh and Skhld. Border Cave and Vindijae. Cromagnon

Q: Of the sites listed below, which is the most important one for determining the morphology of the earliest Homo sapiens in western Europe?a. Cro-Magnonb. Tabunc. Katandad. Mladee. Herto

Q: The Skhl site is dated to approximately ________ years ago.a. 250,000-200,000b. 75,000-43,000c. 200,000-100,000d. 130,000-100,000e. 40,000

Q: Guinea pigs were domesticated in South America to serve as pets and were not used as a source of food.

Q: Early modern Homo sapiens remains rom the Near East includea. Kow Swampb. Skhlc. Hertod. Omo Kibishe. Zhoukoudian

Q: The sunflower was domesticated in eastern North America by around 2500 bc.

Q: Archaeologists have found intentional burials of domesticated dogs at some Archaic period sites in the Eastern Woodlands of North America.

Q: The analysis of the Herto remains indicates they are a. most similar to Australopithecus b. indistinguishable from modern Homo sapiens c. most similar to late Homo erectus from China d. not specifically similar to modern Homo sapiens e. none of these

Q: Thus far, the earliest specimens of modern Homo sapiens are from which site? a. Omo Kibish b. Klasies River Mouth c. Qafzeh d. Cro-Magnon e. Kow Swamp

Q: Contrary to what was previously believed, there were no sedentary or semi-sedentary farming communities in the American Southwest prior to 1000 bc.

Q: Current evidence indicates that the earliest anatomically modern Homo sapiens fossils are from which geographical location? a. China b. India c. Germany d. France e. Africa

Q: The ancestor of domesticated maize was a wild plant that grew in southwest Mexico.

Q: DNA evidence indicates that the type of bottle gourd cultivated in the Americas by at least 8000 bc has its origins in Asia.

Q: Unfortunately the Paleoindian groups of the forests of eastern North America did not have the technology to remove the tannic acid in acorns to make them edible.

Q: The Herto remains are a. from South Africa b. from the Middle Awash area of Ethiopia c. considered to be modern Neandertal d. considered to be Ardipithecus e. the earliest European evidence of modern humans

Q: Contrary to popular belief, Paleoindian groups rarely exploited the full potential of their prey, rather they engaged in "gourmet butchering."

Q: Anatomically modern Homo sapiens fossils from Africa have been dated to about _____ years ago. a. 100,000-70,000 b. 200,000-100,000 c. 195,000-80,000 d. 35,000 e. 65,000

Q: Modern human occupation dates to 50,000 in a. Australia b. South America c. North America d. Africa e. Europe

Q: According to the Regional Continuity Model, ________ prevented local populations of premodern Homo sapiens from becoming separate species. a. founder's effect b. gene flow c. displacement by African Homo sapiens d. mitochondrial DNA e. genetic drift

Q: The site of Caral is a good example of cultural complexity during the Archaic period of the Peruvian coast. Besides having eight planned neighborhoods, Caral featured: a) pyramids b) concentric semi-circular earthworks c) llama pens d) ceremonial caves e) none of the above

Q: What does the Regional Continuity Model of modern Homo sapiens origins not propose? a. Modern humans did not appear solely in Africa. b. Premodern populations in Europe, Asia, and Africa all evolved into modern Homo sapiens. c. There was gene flow between premodern populations from different regions of the Old World. d. Local populations would have evolved totally independently from one another e. Local populations would not have evolved totally independently from one another

Q: In South America's Atlantic Lowlands, sambaquis (low level refuse and habitation mounds) begin to appear after 6800 bc. Sambaquis were constructed out of: a) mudbrick b) cut and worked stone c) shell d) prepared human skulls e) hundreds of thick wooden poles

Q: The potato was first domesticated: a) in Asia b) in Southwest Mexico c) in the American Southwest d) in Andean South America e) in Europe

Q: The most visible archaeological evidence for human occupation of the Amazon during the Archaic period is in the form of: a) large pyramid constructions b) an abundance of stone tools c) bison kill sites d) permanent farming communities that were inhabited for a long time e) rock art

Q: Two different Replacement Models have been proposed. They differ from each other with respect to which of the following? a. the anatomy of modern humans b. the timing of the origin of modern humans c. whether a speciation event caused the demise of Neandertals d. the origin and dispersal of the first modern human populations e. the use of DNA sequences in analyses

Q: South American llamas were used: a) as a source of meat b) as a source of wool c) as pack animals d) all of the above e) a and b only

Q: According to Partial Replacement Models, modern humans first appeared in Africa a. and interbred with premodern populations of Eurasia, thus partially displacing them b. and remained there until modern humans from Asia displaced them c. about 500,000 years ago d. but were later displaced by European Neandertals e. and India, simultaneously.

Q: The site of Telarmachay in Central Peru has yielded the earliest evidence for the domestication of ___________, the only large animals to be domesticated in the Americas. a) alpacas and llamas b) donkeys and horses c) sheep and goats d) buffalo and bison e) pigs and hogs

Q: The hypothesis that all modern humans descended from an African lineage a. has been conclusively proven to be correct b. is supported by mtDNA evidence c. is supported by evidence from researchers in India d. is conclusively proven as incorrect e. is based on archaeological evidence obtained from caves in Spain

Q: The oldest intentionally prepared mummies in the world date to as far back as 5800 bc and were made by the Chinchorro people who lived in what is now: a) Mexico b) Chile c) Alaska d) Egypt e) California

Q: Researchers have recently sequenced the genetic identities of nine ancient fully modern H. sapiens from sites in Italy, France, the Czech Republic, and Russia. What did this research focus on? a. the Y chromosome b. mtDNA c. the ABO blood groups d. the Y chromosome and the ABO blood groups e. only cranial remains

Q: Which of the following has not been proposed as a model to explain the origin of modernHomo sapiens?a. An origin in Africa followed by migration to other areas where indigenous premodern populations were replaced.b. An origin in Africa followed by migration to other areas where both interbreeding and replacement occurred.c. Several origins in different areas where modern forms evolved from local populations.d. Separate origins in Africa and Australia with migrations from both these areas to displace all other populations.e. A strong influence of modern humans evolving first in Africa that left an imprint on populations throughout the world that is detectable today.

Q: During the Archaic period the cultures of the Pacific Northwest developed a subsistence strategy based primarily on: a) maritime resources b) maize farming c) herding and pastoralism d) cultivation of agave e) bison kills

Q: According to the complete replacement model, anatomically modern Homo sapiens first appeared in Africa a. and dispersed to Europe where they interbred with local premodern H. sapiens populations b. and migrated to other areas completely displacing all premodern H. sapiens populations without interbreeding with them c. remained there while premodern populations elsewhere evolved more slowly d. around 500,000 years ago e. and the local populations would not have evolved totally independently from one another.

Q: The site of Poverty Point in Louisiana is notable for its massive Archaic period: a) carved stone monoliths b) gold mining operation c) earthworks in the form of concentric semi-circles d) road network e) all of the above

Q: "Stone boiling" involves dropping hot stones into liquid: a) to prepare them to be shaped into stone tools b) for divination and other religious ceremonies c) to boil the liquid and cook food d) to disinfect them for medical purposes e) to pour them on enemies

Q: Although numerous regional species were domesticated in different parts of the Americas, the only domesticated animal that was present throughout North, Central, and South America was the: a) cat b) pig c) horse d) dog e) turkey

Q: At middle to late Archaic sites, the transition from the casual cultivation of weedy little gourds to the full domestication of edible squashes can be seen in the archaeological record in the form of: a) an overall shrinking of fruit size b) an increase in seed size c) a thickening of fruit walls d) a decrease in seed size e) a hardening of fruit flesh

Q: By around 800 bc, domesticated ________ are seen in the archaeological record of the American Southwest where they seem to have been first used as ceremonial animals and then as meat animals by around ad 1000. a) llamas b) cats c) pigs d) goats e) turkeys

Q: Previously overlooked or dismissed as purely a wild resource, research indicates that ______ was planted by the people of the late pre-contact era of the American Southwest and would have been used to produce both food and workable fiber. a) flax b) agave c) maize d) squash e) bottle gourd

Q: According to the compete replacement model, the transition from premodern to modern Homo sapiens a. occurred in several regions of the Old World simultaneously b. occurred first in Europe c. only occurred once, in Africa d. began about 10,000 years ago in Indonesia e. began about 100,000 years ago in Asia

Q: Maize (Zea mays) is also known as: a) bottle gourd b) quinoa c) squash d) corn e) common beans

Q: Domesticated maize, squash, and other crops spread into the southwestern United States from ________ shortly before 2000 bc. a) the Pacific Northwest b) the eastern woodlands c) Mexico d) coastal Peru e) Asia

Q: According to the most recent evidence, the first modern Homo sapiens evolved in Africa around _______ years ago. a. 200,000 b. 1,500,000 c. 50,000 d. 500,000 e. 5,000,000

Q: The earliest plants to be domesticated in Mexico and perhaps in all of the Americas were: a) maize and beans b) barley and wheat c) squash and the bottle gourd d) cotton and chili peppers e) chickpeas and lentils

Q: Discuss the capability to conduct MtDNA analyses of fossil skeletal remains. What contributions to the understanding of what it means to be human will this capability have in the future?

Q: The domestication of plants during the Archaic period in the Americas: a) was a late economic strategy, which was developed with no "founder crops" spread by colonizing farmers b) happened in one location, coastal Peru, and spread to the rest of the continent c) was one of the earliest economic strategies employed by Archaic peoples d) caused most groups to give up their hunting and gathering economies entirely e) none of the above, plants were never domesticated in the Americas

Q: Discuss the evolutionary trends in the genus Homo. Start with the transition from early Homo to Homo erectus and end with the Neandertals. Be sure to include the temporal and geographic distributions of the various species of Homo.

Q: The Archaic Period in the Americas, which started around 9500 bc, coincides with environmental changes related to: a) el Nio b) the eruption of Mt. St. Helens c) a reversal of the magnetic poles d) the retreat of the glaciers e) the beginning of the last Ice Age

Q: Characterize Mousterian technology, subsistence, settlements, and symbolic behavior.

Q: Compared to the Paleoindian groups of the plains and the Rockies, the Paleoindian groups of the forests of eastern North America: a) utilized a more restricted number of plant and animal resources to meet their dietary needs b) utilized a greater variety of plant and animal resources to meet their dietary needs c) utilized larger bison drive sites to meet their dietary needs d) utilized exactly the same plant and animal resources to meet their dietary needs e) developed intensive farming early to meet their dietary needs

Q: Some paleoanthropologists classify Neandertals as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis? Others disagree. What are the biological and phylogenetic arguments?

Q: Describe what is known about Middle Pleistocene culture. Include information about technology, settlement, and subsistence.

Q: Why is it difficult to get a clear evolutionary picture of Middle Pleistocene hominins?