Race is not a valid biological concept because
a. races account for only a small amount of biological variation.
b. the distribution of biological traits follow a cline.
c. traits do not agree with their frequency and distribution.
d. all of the above.
One cultural trait which characterized Homo habilis was
a. they had controlled use of fire.
b. they cooked meat.
c. they built dwelling structures.
d. they used stone tools.
Homo habilis is characterized by
a. long, modern legs.
b. short legs.
c. a striding gait.
d. both a and c.
Prehensile tails
a. are present in catarrhine primates.
b. are present in most primates.
c. are present only in some platyrrhines.
d. none of the above.
Although altruistic behavior benefits others while being a disadvantage to the altruistic
individual, it likely exists in primate societies because
a. altruistic behaviors are not directed randomly but toward related individuals.
b. altruistic behaviors are an example of kin selection.
c. altruistic behaviors are likely to be observed in groups where there is high genetic
relatedness among individuals.
d. all of the above.
Early hominids display a relatively lower level of sexual dimorphism in body size than
living gorillas and living orangutans do. What could be inferred from this finding?
a. that early hominids were more competitive
b. that early hominids were more cooperative
c. that early hominids ate meat
d. that early hominids existed in large sedentary groups
Hominid fossils indicate which of the following differences between Homo habilis and
Homo erectus?
a. Homo habilis shows a reduction in the size of the face relative to the brain case.
b. Homo erectus shows a reduction in the size of the face relative to the brain case.
c. Homo habilis generally has a greater brain capacity than Homo erectus.
d. Homo erectus generally has a smaller brain capacity than Homo habilis.
The oldest recognizable artifacts are simple stone tools dating to about 2.6 mya and are
referred to as the ________ .
a. Acheulan complex
b. Mousterian complex
c. Oldowan complex
d. Clovis complex
One of the only fossil sites in the world that preserves a great deal of evidence for
anthropoid evolution during the Eocene and Oligocene epochs is
a. Cambria, England.
b. Zhoukoudian, China.
c. Fayum, Egypt.
d. Solnhofen, Germany.
All of the following regions provide archaeological evidence for local plant
domestication except
a. eastern North America.
b. southwestern Asia.
c. China.
d. Australia.
The archeological period in Europe starting about 35,000 yBP, marked by a great
increase in technology and various kinds of art, is called the
a. later Stone Age.
b. Upper Paleolithic period.
c. Neolithic period.
d. Eurocentric period.
Which of the following is key to the development of individual species?
a. Microevolution
b. Gene flow
c. Reproductive isolation
d. Equilibrium
In addressing bipedalism’s origin, Darwin focused on
a. hunting.
b. females’ ability to carry babies.
c. body temperature control (thermoregulation).
d. parasite reduction.
While at the zoo you see an exhibit with a small group of primates you have not seen in
your textbook. However you notice they have wet, snout-like noses similar to a dog’s.
You tell your friend that this is
a. a species of prosimian, because they retain the rhinarium commonly found in other
mammal species.
b. a species of anthropoid primate, because they retain the rhinarium commonly found
in other mammal species.
c. a species of platyrrhine primate, because their nostrils do not point downward.
d. none of the above.
The “supercontinent” that existed about 200 mya, from which the modern continents
ultimately emerged, is called
a. Eurasia.
b. Afronesia.
c. Australasia.
d. Pangaea.
Which of the following is true about the process of fossilization?
a. Rapid burial impedes fossilization.
b. Remains must be covered in water to fossilize.
c. Remains must be surrounded by an oxygen-free environment for fossilization to
occur.
d. Remains must be free of traumatic injury in order to fossilize.
The fossil nicknamed “Lucy” is a member of which species?
a. Australopithecus anamensis
b. Ardipithecus ramidus
c. Australopithecus afarensis
d. Australopithecus africanus
Which of the following is not true of the Eocene euprimates?
a. They possessed postorbital bars.
b. They had grasping digits on both hands and feet.
c. They were quite large, greater than 20 kg (44 lbs).
d. They had relatively large brains.
The earth is about ________ old.
a. 2.5 million years
b. 4.6 billion years
c. 1 million years
d. 50 billion years
The great human population increase of the Holocene was probably due to
a. a decrease in disease as a result of sedentism.
b. more effective medical practices.
c. decreased birth spacing.
d. a dramatic increase in nutritional quality as a result of agriculture.
Which of the following is not an absolute dating method?
a. fission track dating
b. radiocarbon dating
c. dendrochronology
d. stratigraphy
Studies of temperatures during the Cenozoic era suggest that
a. temperatures have steadily increased over time.
b. temperatures have steadily decreased over time.
c. temperatures have fluctuated, sometimes greatly, over time.
d. temperatures have stayed basically the same over time.
You find a fossil that you are sure shows evidence of bipedalism. You know this
because which of the following anatomical traits are present?
a. a narrow pelvis
b. posterior position of the foramen magnum
c. opposable hallux
d. thigh bones that angle in toward the knees
Although Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules most often explain body shape and morphology,
we occasionally see variations from the correct patterns. This indicates that
a. the long-term association between body shape and climate is an example of
acclimatization.
b. body shape and morphology reflect both evolutionary and developmental processes.
c. the association between body shape and morphology does not respond to
environmental stressors.
d. the association between body shape, morphology, and the environment is not a result
of natural selection.
Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species (1859) was considered an important
contribution to modern science because
a. it coined the concept of evolution.
b. it synthesized information from diverse scientific fields in order to document
evolutionary change.
c. it was immediately and widely accepted by the scientific community as the
mechanism for evolutionary change.
d. none of the above.
Which of the following would not be part of an Oldowan toolkit?
a. simple stone flakes
b. rounded and pitted hammerstones
c. crude core pieces
d. long, sharp blades
Orangutans are an example of which residence pattern?
a. monogamous
b. polygynous
c. polyandrous
d. solitary
Prior to the invention of absolute dating techniques, one of the chemical dating methods
useful for establishing the relative age of fossils from a single site was
a. fission track dating.
b. thermoluminescence dating.
c. electron spinresonance dating.
d. fluorine dating.
The chemical signature of volcanic ash layers can be used to
a. date ancient fishes.
b. correlate sites across vast regions.
c. date foraminifera.
d. date ancient trees.
Parapithecids are
a. ancestral to all cattarhines.
b. found only in Asia.
c. ancestral to anthropoids.
d. found only in North America.
________ states that heat-adapted mammals will have long limbs, which maximize the
body’s surface area.
a. Thermoregulation rule
b. Darwin’s rule
c. Bergmann’s rule
d. Allen’s rule
Your friend Susan explains to you that she recently saw a televised debate regarding the
presence of material culture in nonhuman animals. Susan agreed with the individual
who claimed that objects used to manipulate environments were one of the defining
characteristics of humans. When asked what your opinion is as an anthropologist, you
say:
a. Material culture is an important characteristic of only human culture, as it allows us
to live and survive in diverse environments.
b. While material culture is important for humans, it has recently been argued to be
present in chimpanzee societies.
c. Material culture did not exist until the Dark Ages.
d. Material culture is an important characteristic for all mammals.