Which of the great apes is found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra?
A.orangutans
B.gorillas
C.chimpanzees
D.bonobos
E.gibbons
What features are shared by all hominins included in the genus Australopithecus?
A.relatively small brains
B.habitual bipedalism
C.large back teeth
D.very thick enamel
E.all of these
Which of the following types of evidence of hominin behavior are most likely to be
preserved?
A.wooden objects
B.organic remains
C.bone implements
D.stone tools
E.social structure
Which of the following would NOT be an example of a primary context?
A.animal bones washed into a stream bed
B.a piece of pottery found within a storage pit
C.an assortment of sharp stone tools next to a butchered carcass
D.wood charcoal found within a hearth
E.All of these are examples of a primary context.
The fact that individuals who possess favorable variations are more likely to survive
and reproduce than those who possess less favorable traits is the basis for the theory of:
A.uniformitarianism
B.natural selection
C.inheritance of acquired characteristics
D.catastrophism
E.fixity of species
Why are apes unable to speak?
A.They lack the proper vocal anatomy.
B.They lack the intelligence required to master symbolic communication.
C.Their brain does not have the language related structures.
D.all of the above
E.only A and C
Which of the following statements accurately describes the nature of Middle and Upper
Paleolithic hunting strategies?
A.They exploited vastly different types of resources.
B.They were both largely dependent on seasonally available animals.
C.They show the same basic usage of ungulates.
D.all of the above
E.only B and C
What is the potential significance of the Dmanisi hominin that was lacking its teeth?
A.Violence was a common part of this time period.
B.It died because it was no longer able to eat.
C.It would have required assistance in preparing its food.
D.It shows a dental pattern characteristic of earlier H. habilis forms.
E.only B and D
What is the primary physical difference between terrestrial and arboreal quadrupeds?
A.Arboreal quadrupeds typically have shorter fore limbs.
B.Arboreal quadrupeds typically have prehensile tails.
C.Terrestrial quadrupeds typically have shorter hind limbs.
D.Terrestrial quadrupeds typically lack stereoscopic vision.
E.none of these
Agriculture in Asia likely occurred:
A.earliest in south Asia
B.in east Asia, then diffused to other locations
C.independently in east and south Asia
D.as a result of diffusion from the Near East
E.only in south Asia
Paleo-Indians almost exclusively hunted megafauna.
Dates from the Ngandong site in Java indicate that Homo erectus may have been
present as recently as:
A.50,000 y.a.
B.100,000 y.a.
C.150,000 y.a.
D.250,000 y.a.
E.300,000 y.a.
The X and Y chromosomes are called:
A.autosomes
B.gametes
C.centromeres
D.sex chromosomes
E.karyotypes
Which statement(s) best describe the nature of domestication and cultivation in eastern
North America?
A.It represents an independent center of domestication.
B.It included Mesoamerican crops such as maize and beans.
C.The earliest domesticates were non-food gourds.
D.all of the above
E.only B and C
The study of population genetics, specifically the frequency of alleles, genotypes, and
phenotypes focuses on what aspect of evolution?
A.macroevolution
B.natural selection
C.microevolution
D.non-random mating
E.mutation
The combination of ancestral Homo erectus traits, such as a sagittal ridge, with more
modern features in Chinese premodern fossils has been interpreted as evidence for:
A.classifying these skeletons as a regional variant of Homo heidelbergensis
B.the evolution of anatomically modern humans from earlier Homo erectus in east Asia,
rather than Africa
C.substantial genetic continuity between modern and Homo erectus populations in
China
D.all of the above
E.only A and B
The change in relationship between humans, animals, and plants whereby they share a
mutually beneficial association is known as:
A.agriculture
B.transhumance
C.domestication
D.propagation
E.symbiosis
Recent fossil evidence indicates that the earliest hominins by date back to:
A.4 million y.a.
B.10 million y.a.
C.7 million y.a.
D.3 million y.a.
E.2 million y.a.
Why are there so few hunting and gathering societies left today?
A.Changes in habitat caused by farming made it useless for hunter-gatherers.
B.Agriculture is a superior way of making a living.
C.Agriculturalists out competed them for access to land.
D.Humans are predisposed to develop agriculture; hunting and gathering is simply an
evolutionary relic.
E.both A and C
Cultural anthropology has its origins in:
A.the discovery of the pyramids of Egypt
B.the Enlightenment-era desire to understand the place of humans in the world
C.the desire to fully document the physical variability of humans
D.all of these
E.none of these
A polytypic species is defined as one which:
A.has inherent variability
B.is undergoing speciation
C.has populations with different traits
D.has recently experienced an adaptive radiation
E.has multiple polymorphisms
Which of the following sites is NOT a candidate for the earliest occupation of the New
World?
A.Meadowcroft Rockshelter
B.Pedra Furada
C.Monte Verde
D.Beringia
E.Pendejo Cave
The prepared core technique was first associated with which tool tradition?
A.Oldowan
B.Acheulian
C.Lower Paleolithic
D.Upper Paleolithic
E.Aurignacian
In addition to a vertebral column, what other trait is characteristic of vertebrates?
A.paired sensory structures
B.developed brain
C.they are heterodonts
D.all of the above
E.only A and B
Which of the following best describes the nature of Maya political organization?
A.an empire centered at Tikal
B.territorial states encompassing many large centers
C.two independent polities in the lowland and highland areas
D.independent city states and associated local centers
E.a loose confederation of allied city-states
Which of the following factors have impeded the public acceptance of the theory of
evolution?
A.lack of agreement within the scientific community about its validity
B.lack of requisite education by general public
C.inherent differences in religious and scientific ways of understanding the world
D.all of the above
E.only B and C
Dates for the Homo erectus fossils from Java:
A.consistently pre-date those from Africa
B.have been difficult to establish due to the complicated geological setting
C.have recently been radiometrically estimated to be as early as 1.8 m.y.a.
D.none of the above
E.only B and C
Disease pathogens such as bacteria or viruses are sometimes transmitted from one
individual to another by various agents such as fleas or mosquitoes. Such agents are
called:
A.pathogens
B.vectors
C.pandemics
D.endemics
E.brachycephalics
Which aspect of modern human DNA variability is used to support the Complete
Replacement Model?
A.Indigenous African populations have the least amount of genetic diversity.
B.Unique genetic markers are found in non-African populations.
C.Indigenous African populations have the greatest amount of genetic diversity.
D.none of the above
E.only A and B
The basic social unit among nonhuman primates is:
A.mother and infant
B.bonded male groups
C.male and female
D.sibling relationships
E.none of these
Analysis of mtDNA from Neandertal skeletons has shown that:
A.there is three times the degree of divergence between Neandertals and contemporary
Homo sapiens populations than exists among modern human populations
B.Neandertals may have diverged from modern humans as early as 600,000 years ago
C.it is still impossible to exclude the possibility of an evolutionary relationship between
modern humans and Neandertals
D.all of the above
E.only A and B
States, as defined by Fried, include what unique social characteristic?
A.hierarchical organization
B.lack of social differentiation
C.concept of citizenship
D.lack of administrative bureaucracies
E.dependence on agriculture