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Archaeology
Q:
The site of Blombos Cave in __________ has yielded spectacular evidence for early modern human behavior including broad subsistence strategies and jewelry and ochre fragments.
a) South Africa
b) China
c) Ethiopia
d) Tanzania
e) Israel
Q:
The use of various forms of floral and faunal resources to meet dietary needs is a modern human behavior referred to as:
a) multi-region hypothesis
b) surplus economics
c) a broad spectrum economy
d) the multivariate approach
e) supply side economics
Q:
Australopithecus afarensis specimens from Laetoli and Hadar are
a. the largest well-studied collection of early hominins
b. the oldest hominins discovered to date
c. the smallest least-studied collection of early hominins
d. only found in South Africa
e. forms of H. habilis
Q:
The fossil skeleton known as "Lucy" belongs to which species?
a. africanus
b. aethiopicus
c. habilis
d. boisei
e. afarensis
Q:
Recently discovered remains from the Tugen Hills, dated to about 6 million years ago have been placed in which genus?
a. Sahelanthropu
b. Australopithecus
c. Paranthropus
d. Ardipithecus
e. Orrorin
Q:
The three Neanderthal mtDNA sequences that have been analyzed indicate that:
a) Neanderthals were genetically completely different from Homo sapiens
b) Neanderthals are the result of hybridization between modern humans and Homo heidelbergensis
c) Neanderthals and humans are not separate species and that they commonly interbred
d) Neanderthals are our direct ancestor: modern humans evolved from them
e) Neanderthals are genetically separate from modern humans, but may or may not have been able to produce fertile offspring
Q:
An evaluation of the various hypotheses concerning the evolution of modern humans would suggest that most genetic evidence supports:
a) an African origin for Homo sapiens
b) a Western European origin for Homo sapiens
c) hybridization with Neanderthals for the origin of Homo sapiens
d) an Asian origin for Homo sapiens
e) all of the above
Q:
Sahelanthropus has an unusual combination of characteristics, including
a. a small braincase, huge browridges, small vertical face, and lack of shearing canine/premolar arrangement
b. a large braincase and huge browridges
c. a small braincase and small muscle attachments in the rear of the cranium
d. a small vertical face and small browridges
e. a large vertical face and small browridges
Q:
Where was Sahelanthropus discovered?
a. South Africa
b. East Africa
c. the Rift Valley
d. Central Africa
e. Asia
Q:
Population size affects mutation because:
a) larger populations will display greater genetic diversity because more random mutation will occur
b) smaller populations will result in reduced genetic variability because fewer random mutations will occur
c) population bottlenecks force groups to rapidly mutate and evolve to survive
d) a and b only
e) b and c only
Q:
The oldest possible hominin found to date has been given which genus name?
a. Australopithecus
b. Sahelanthropus
c. Zinjanthropus
d. Ardipithecus
e. Orrorin
Q:
The variability of living human mtDNA:
a) is surprisingly low
b) suggests that the set of specifically modern genes came together very recently
c) suggests that a population bottleneck occurred
d) is one-tenth that of chimpanzees
e) all of the above
Q:
Why is MtDNA ideal for human evolutionary research?
a) it never changes at all but remains exactly the same throughout every generation
b) because it is a combination of both the mother's and the father's DNA it is influenced by both random mutation and natural selection
c) it is influenced by neither random mutation nor natural selection
d) because it is inherited only from the mother, it does not recombine and so variations occur only through random mutation, forming a relatively reliable molecular clock
e) MtDNA is not ideal for evolutionary research; scholars prefer nuclear DNA
Q:
The results of various DNA studies indicate that traits such as skin color are more diverse in sub-Saharan Africa than anywhere else. This supports the idea that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa because:
a) other Homo species, such as Homo erectus, arriving in Africa would have brought features with them
b) Homo sapiens would have spent very little time in Africa before moving out to other areas, so that a population bottleneck would have occurred
c) Homo sapiens would have had a longer connection to Africa and so there was more time for random mutations in such features to occur
d) the environmental conditions of sub-Saharan Africa are such that they promote rapid evolutionary change, a situation not found elsewhere in the world
e) these traits appear to have come from the Neanderthals, and humans and Neanderthals only mixed in Africa
Q:
Which of the following would be best suited to the carbon-14 dating technique?
a. materials more than 100,000 years old
b. volcanic rock
c. sedimentary rock
d. metals
e. certain organic materials less than 75,000 years old
Q:
A number of fossils found in the Israeli caves of Mugharet es-Skhul and Jebel Qafzeh are thought to represent anatomically modern humans because:
a) they seem to have been intentionally buried in simple graves
b) they have been dated with ESR to a time period associated with modern humans
c) they differ anatomically from the Neanderthals that occupied the region 40,000 years later
d) they have pronounced chins, and other anatomical features seen in modern humans
e) all of the above
Q:
Potassium-40 (40K)
a. decays to the gas, argon-40 (40Ar)
b. decays to carbon-14
c. has a full-life of 1.25 billion years
d. is the same as carbon-14
e. is destructive and therefore not used by paleoanthropologists
Q:
Radiometric dating techniques
a. are not based on the phenomenon of radioactive isotope decay rates
b. can be used to determine the absolute age of organic materials
c. include the K/Ar but not carbon-14 methods
d. are a form of stratigraphy
e. are relative dating techniques
Q:
Fossils from deposits dating to ________________ clearly belong to anatomically modern Homo sapiens.
a) 1 million years ago
b) before 500,000 years ago
c) after 25,000 years ago
d) 125,000 years ago
e) only after 10,000 years ago
Q:
If an isotope has a half-life of 4 billion years, then in 4 billion years what will happen?
a. All of the original amount will have decayed.
b. A quarter of the original amount will still remain.
c. Half of the original amount will still be present.
d. All of the original amount will still be present.
e. The original amount will have doubled.
Q:
Which of the following is NOT a cranial characteristic of anatomically modern humans:
a) cranial capacity usually in excess of 1350 cc
b) a distinct chin
c) a vertical (not rounded) back of the skull, with a forward-projecting (prognathic) face
d) a relatively vertical forehead
e) a non-continuous brow ridge that this expressed more clearly in males than in females.
Q:
Anatomically modern humans tend to be tall and long-limbed with a short-trunked body. This supports the notion of an African origin because:
a) these appear to be biological adaptations to tropical and subtropical climates
b) these appear to be biological adaptations to escape from predatory African animals
c) these appear to be biological adaptations to the icy, glaciated Africa of the period
d) these appear to be biological adaptations to early agriculture, which is seen only in Africa
e) all of the above
Q:
_______ is a radiometric dating method popular with archaeologists that can be used to date materials up to 75,000 years old.
a. Carbon-14
b. Paleomagnetism
c. Thermoluminesence
d. K/Ar
e. Biostratigraphy
Q:
Although opinions differ as to how a "modern" human can be defined in the fossil record, most scholars agree that global similarities in ___________ are one way that modern humans can be separated from other Homo species.
a) skull shape
b) hand shape
c) number of ribs
d) height
e) sexual dimorphism
Q:
_______ make the best samples for the K/Ar dating method.
a. Bones
b. Stone tools
c. Ostrich shells
d. Teeth
e. Volcanic rocks
Q:
_______ relies on identifying changes in the orientation of the earth's geomagnetic poles.
a. Stratigraphy
b. Potassium argon dating
c. Fluorine analysis
d. Biostratigraphy
e. Paleomagnetism
Q:
Which of the following is not a chromometric dating method?
a. C-14
b. K-Ar
c. Fluorine dating
d. Thermoluminescence
e. stratigraphy
Q:
Which of the following is a model that has been suggested for the evolution of modern humans:
a) an African replacement hypothesis: modern humans arose in Africa then replaced other Homo populations elsewhere with little hybridization
b) an African hybridization and replacement hypothesis: modern humans arose in Africa then replaced other Homo populations in other regions, mating and hybridizing with them
c) an assimilation hypothesis where gene flow between local Homo populations and African Homo sapiens was significant in creating modern human populations
d) a multi-regional evolution hypothesis in which Africa is not seen as the primary location of the evolution of Homo sapiens
e) all of the above
Q:
The "Out of Africa" hypothesis predicts that:
a) the earliest fossils of modern humans will be found only in Africa
b) fossils transitional between modern humans and their direct ancestor will be found only in Africa
c) modern-day humans will not necessarily share links with earlier populations from the same region
d) Africa should show the greatest genetic diversity
e) all of the above
Q:
Thermoluminescence dates
a. Water-logged artifacts
b. bone
c. wood
d. burned flint tools
e. thatch
Q:
Relative dating techniques
a. can provide exact dates of fossil material
b. are always accurate to within 500 years
c. are based on the radioactive decay of unstable isotopes
d. include biostratigraphy
e. rely upon stable isotopes
Q:
The so-called "Noah's Ark hypothesis," also called the single origins or "Garden of Eden" hypothesis, traces the evolution of Homo sapiens to a single geographic center, which is:
a) Asia
b) Africa
c) Western Europe
d) the Levant
e) Northern Europe
Q:
Thermoluminescence can be used on which of the following?
a. Heated materials such as burned flint
b. fossilized plants
c. bone
d. sedimentary layers of dirt
e. petrified wood
Q:
The "multi-regional evolution hypothesis,", as promoted by Franz Weidenreich in the 1940s and developed by more recent scholars such as Thorne and Wolpoff, is based on the idea that:
a) Homo sapiens first evolved in Africa and then spread out from there
b) Homo sapiens evolved locally from various Homo species that had left Africa
c) Homo sapiens evolved from Neanderthals in Europe and then expanded from there
d) Homo sapiens evolved from Homo erectus in Asia and expanded from there
e) Homo sapiens conquered rival species region by region through aggression and warfare
Q:
In terms of climate, the evolution of modern humans occurred during a time of:
a) a remarkably stable and predictable climate
b) extremely warm weather across the entire globe
c) weather conditions very similar to the ones we experience today
d) remarkably unstable climatic conditions
e) none of the above: we do not have climatic data for the time of early human evolution
Q:
What is the dating method that uses the principle that undisturbed underlying geologic deposits are older than overlying geologic deposits?
a. stratigraphic dating
b. paleomagnetism
c. carbon-14 dating
d. K/Ar dating
e. fluorine analysis
Q:
Luminescence Dating is particularly suitable for dating sandy deposits.
Q:
DNA analysis has shown that the tooth found in the Denisova cave came from either an early modern human or a Neanderthal. It could not have come from a Homo erectus.
Q:
Dating methods indicating that something is older or more recent than something else
a. are called chronometric dating methods
b. are called absolute dating methods
c. include the K/Ar method
d. never require stratigraphic information
e. are called relative dating methods
Q:
Which of the following methods are not used to identify hominin fossil sites?
a. aerial photography
b. satellite photography
c. geological surveys
d. water reside analysis
e. vertebrate paleontology
Q:
What is paleoanthropology?
a. It is defined as the study of early humans.
b. It is practiced by archaeologists ONLY.
c. It is concerned with fossilized skeletal remains ONLY.
d. It is defined as the study of fossilized non-primate mammals.
e. It is practiced by physical anthropologists ONLY.
Q:
It is very likely that H. ergaster derived the majority of its food from the gathering of plant resources rather than the hunting of animals.
Q:
Because only stone tools are found in the Paleolithic record, we can say definitively that Homo species did not use other materials such as bone and wood.
Q:
The current evidence indicates that hominins possessed all the major structural changes necessary for bipedalism by
4 million years ago
a. 5 to 7 million years ago
b. 8 to 10 million years ago
c. 3 to 4 million years ago
Q:
The cranial capacity (and thus the brain size) of Neanderthals was, on average, larger than that of modern humans.
Q:
Before hominins made stone tools, they probably
a. used sticks or other perishable materials
b. had weapons made of metal
c. made tools from ivory
d. used pottery
e. took tools from other nonhuman primates
Q:
Homo ergaster was probably the first human species to leave Africa.
Q:
The Oldowan tool industry developed directly from the earlier Acheulean industry.
Q:
The earliest stone tools are dated to approximately
a. 2.6 million years old
b. 25,000 years old
c. 250,000 years old
d. 25 million years old
e. 50 million years old
Q:
For humans, culture integrates an entire adaptive strategy involving all of the following except
a. cognitive components
b. political components
c. economic components
d. social components
e. biological components
Q:
What have researchers concluded from the fossil remains of hominin feet from South Africa?
a. They indicate obligate quadrupedalism.
b. They indicate many forms of hominins spent considerable time in trees.
c. They were adapted for quadrupedalism.
d. They indicate the big toe could NOT have aided the foot in grasping.
e. Remains from hominin feet have not been found in South Africa
Q:
True hand axes have not been found among the artifact assemblages in Chinese Homo erectus sites.
Q:
Fossil evidence for early hominin foot structure
a. has come from South and East African sites
b. has come from North African sites
c. is totally lacking
d. indicates they were quadrupedal
e. is highly disputed and therefore insignificant in discussions of human evolution
Q:
Although some variation can be seen between assemblages from different areas and time period, Acheulean tool forms remained largely unchanged from 1.76 million years ago until 250,000 years ago.
Q:
Although there are a number of differences between Homo erectus skulls and those of Homo ergaster, not all scholars believe that the two were separate species.
Q:
A flat stone that has been flaked on both sides to produce a sharp edge around the entire periphery is called a:
a) scraper
b) knife
c) biface
d) cobble
e) blade
Q:
Anatomical changes in hominins indicative of habitual bipedal locomotion include
a. feet with opposable big toes for grasping
b. shortening and broadening of the pelvis
a. increased length of arms relative to legs
b. increased length of the spine
c. increased length of pelvis
Q:
Define the difference between relative and absolute measures of age. Give examples of each.
Q:
What is ethnoarchaeology and its value to the overall understanding of the archaeological record?
Q:
Homo ergaster was able to colonize the hot, arid, and seasonal environments of Africa because, anatomically,
a) it was quite tall (as tall as modern humans)
b) it had a slim body
c) it had long limbs
d) it had a forward projecting, external nose
e) all of the above
Q:
Define the goals of archaeological research and the techniques used in archaeological research projects.
Q:
Skulls found at the site of Sima de los Huesos and dated to between 600,000 and 530,000 years ago are often considered to be ____________ because they display a combination of earlier and later characteristics.
a) Homo sapiens
b) the missing link between humans and monkeys
c) proto-Neanderthal
d) Homo erectus
e) proto-Chimpanzee
Q:
Gesher Benot Ya"aqov (Israel) and Zhoukoudian Locality I (China) are sites where:
a) early Neanderthal skeletons have been located
b) clear evidence has been found for stone structures being built and inhabited by early Homo species
c) early symbolic behavior in the form of beautiful cave paintings is abundant
d) the earliest accepted evidence for early human use of fire has been identified
e) all of the above
Q:
The main difference between early and late Acheulean material culture is that
a) the late Acheulean is characterized by an abundance of stone structures; housing material is not found in early Acheulean sites
b) cave paintings are extensively found at late Acheulean sites
c) later Acheulean tools tend to be thinner and more symmetric than earlier tools
d) early Acheulean tools tend to be thinner and more symmetric than later ones
e) early Acheulean people buried their dead while late Acheulean people did not
Q:
Where is the Olduvai Gorge and why is it an important location for understanding human evolution? What interpretations, and by whom, have been offered to explain the nature of hominin behavior at this site?
Q:
Discuss the value of dating techniques available to scientists. Compare and contrast relative and absolute dating techniques: provide an example of each kind and describe how they work.
Q:
One of the primary difficulties that scholars face in understanding the history of the use of fire by early Homo species is that
a) carbonized wood is impossible to date reliably so it is hard to tell when hearths were used
b) early Homo species only lived in Africa so their need for fire for warmth was reduced
c) it is difficult to tell the difference between soil that has been hardened by fire and soil that has been hardened by exposure to sunlight
d) early Homo species appear to have considered fire sacred and destroyed all evidence of campfires when they had finished with them
e) it is difficult to tell the difference between fire that was controlled by humans and fire that occurred naturally based on the archaeological record
Q:
Evidence for the types of structures used by early Homo species
a) is remarkably sparse
b) may indicate the use of small huts
c) includes clear evidence for the use of large logs in construction
d) a and b only
e) reveals a great diversity of types and sizes
Q:
What are ethnoarchaeology and experimental archaeology? How are they used to provide information about past lifeways? Give an example of each.
Q:
According to our current knowledge, Neanderthals first appeared in
a) East Asia
b) Africa
c) Indonesia
d) Europe
e) all of the above
Q:
Describe the process of archaeological research, the types of information that comprise the archaeological record, and the techniques available for reconstructing the past.
Q:
Define paleoanthropology and describe the nature and process of paleoanthropological research.
Q:
What is the value of artifacts in archaeological research?
Q:
Some researchers believe that chop and cut marks found on bones from the Gran Dolina, TD6, represent clear evidence for:
a) warfare among different species of Homo
b) cannibalism
c) the use of metal tools
d) early surgery
e) ritualistic sacrifice
Q:
The oldest firm evidence for human species in Europe is found bone deposits in caves located where?
a) Lascaux, France
b) The Neander Valley, Germany
c) Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain
d) The Orkney Islands, Scotland
e) The Black Sea, Russia.
Q:
The primary way that Homo heidelbergensis differed from both H. erectus and H. ergaster is that
a) H. heidelbergensis had a larger brain
b) H. heidelbergensis developed the hand axe
c) H. heidelbergensis still utilized only the Oldowan tool kit
d) H. heidelbergensis was very sexually dimorphic
e) H. heidelbergensis was very small and may have been a dwarf species
Q:
What is meant by biocultural evolution?
Q:
Current understanding is that Homo heidelbergensis
a) evolved directly from Homo erectus
b) is a subset of Homo habilis which is found only on a remote island
c) is the immediate descendant of Homo ergaster that expanded out of Africa and into what is now Europe
d) is also known as "the hobbit" because it was very short
e) is the descendant of the Australopithecines that spread to East Asia, particularly China
Q:
Who are the Leakeys, and what is their claim to paloeanthropological fame?
Q:
Does the home based foraging pattern adequately describe the Oldowan sites?