In class your professor shows you an MRI scan of a primate brain. The professor points
out the relatively large size of the olfactory bulb beneath the frontal lobe. This suggests
to you that:
a. this primate exhibits a derived trait for an enhanced sense of smell, since this trait is
not commonly observed in mammal species.
b. this is a species of anthropoid because it has an increased reliance on vision.
c. this primate must be a species of prosimian, as that suborder of primates still relies
heavily on the sense of smell for many aspects of daily life.
d. this species is nocturnal.
A random change in allele frequencies over time is known as:
a. genetic drift.
b. gene flow.
c. admixture.
d. gene migration.
Which of the following is an adaptive characteristic of bipedalism?
a. opposable thumb
b. nails instead of claws
c. convergent eyes
d. longitudinal arch in the foot
The postnatal stage includes:
a. the first, second and third trimesters.
b. menarche and senescence.
c. the growth of the deciduous teeth, motor skills, and cognitive abilities.
d. the human growth cycle from the embryo stage.
Monkeys underwent massive__________in the Pliocene and Pleistocene.
a. extinction
b. adaptive radiation
c. migration
d. diversification
The forces of evolution include:
a. gene flow, mutations, chromosomes, and genes.
b. mutations, genes, and genetic drift.
c. natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations.
d. natural selection, genes, alleles, and chromosomes.
Two genera of propliopithecids include:
a. Aegyptopithecus and Micropithecus.
b. Propliopithecus and Aegyptopithecus.
c. Micropithecus and Aegyptopithecus.
d. Propliopithecus and Proconsul.
A mummy is discovered whose tomb includes cloth, food, and other organic remains.
What dating method might be used to date the tomb?
a. carbon 4
b. carbon 14
c. dendrochronology
d. electron spin resonance
Sivapithecus is widely recognized as an ancestral member of which ape lineage?
a. gorilla
b. orangutan
c. chimpanzee
d. gibbon
The two alleles that result in the expressed phenotype for hemoglobin are equally
expressed. This is an example of:
a. polymorphism.
b. codominance.
c. pleiotropy.
d. Mendelian inheritance.
Thick dental enamel in__________ helps with crushing food.
a. apes
b. australopithecines
c. humans
d. eosimians
The Multiregional Continuity hypothesis supposes that:
a. modern Homo sapiens first evolved in Africa and then spread to Asia and Europe,
replacing archaic Homo sapiens populations.
b. the transition to modernity took place regionally and without involving replacement.
c. Homo erectus populations migrated out of Africa to replace archaic Homo sapiens.
d. archaic Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa to replace Neandertals in Europe.
Low, rounded cusps indicate a diet of:
a. fruit.
b. meat.
c. insects.
d. leaves.
The Neolithic demographic transition resulted in:
a. a decrease in birthrate.
b. earlier weaning.
c. a slow increase in the world’s population.
d. a shift from low birthrate to high birthrate.
Two types of australopithecines were using two different types of locomotion in East
Africa:
a. one was a quadruped and the other a leaper.
b. one was a clinger and the other a climber.
c. one was a knuckle walker and the other a quadruped.
d. one was a climber and the other a biped.
Polygynous:
a. means “many marriages.”
b. means “many offspring.”
c. refers to a social group that includes one female and several males.
d. refers to a social group that includes one adult male, several adult females, and their
offspring.
Most of the fossils discovered in Africa come from the eastern and western parts of the
continent. Why is this?
a. More populations of species lived in these areas and nowhere else.
b. Only these areas were conducive to sustaining life.
c. These areas provided better preservation.
d. Many villagers gather to sell fossils in these areas only.
Crucial to creating a fossil record of a species is a:
a. paleontologist.
b. representation.
c. cladistics.
d. binomial nomenclature.
Which of the following were identified by Sir William le Gros Clark as tendencies of
primates?
a. the presence of a rhinarium and an opposable thumb
b. increased mobility, arboreal adaptation, and brachiation
c. arboreal adaptation, parental investment, and the presence of dietary plasticity
d. the presence of a rhinarium, forward-facing eyes, and increased parental care
Homo erectus was likely the first hominid to successfully migrate out of Africa. Discuss
how the biology and culture of Homo erectus led to its success on three major
continents with varying environments.
The global warming that naturally occurred during the Eocene resulted in the rise of the
primate order; the global warming that is taking place today will likely have negative
impacts for humans, such as:
a. changes in crop production as a result of decreased precipitation.
b. extinction of certain species unrelated to habitat loss.
c. lower sea levels, resulting in the addition of coastal lands on multiple continents.
d. none of the above
A trait’s heritability:
a. is the proportion of its variation that is genetic.
b. is the proportion of its variation that cannot be explained.
c. is the proportion of its variation that is the product of genes and environment.
d. is the proportion of its variation that results from the environment alone.
Grooming involves:
a. the development of alliances between females only.
b. the development of alliances between males only.
c. bonding between individuals of the same rank only, picking through the skin and hair
of another individual.
d. bonding between two members of a social group, calming or appeasing the primate
being groomed if he or she has a higher dominance.
In the 1600s Nicolaus Steno proposed :
a. the principle of uniformitarianism.
b. taphonomy.
c. the law of stratigraphy.
d. the law of superposition.
The variation in living primates provides models for understanding:
a. the uses of anatomical and genetic evidence.
b. morphology, behavior, and adaptation in the evolutionary past.
c. alternative forms of classification.
d. levels of anatomical complexity.
Bipedalism’s advantages over quadrupedalism include:
a. an increased ability to see greater distances.
b. running faster.
c. ease of transporting food.
d. both a. and c.
Compared to modern Homo sapiens, archaic Homo sapiens have:
a. a long and low skull, a smaller brain size, and a large masticatory complex.
b. a taller and wider nasal aperture, a more projecting occipital bone, larger teeth, and
no chin.
c. a longer and lower skull, a larger browridge, and a bigger and more projecting face.
d. both b. and c.
Barry Popkin found that owing to_________ and _________, obesity levels in many
parts of the developing world now match that of the United States.
a. increased levels of malnutrition; poverty
b. obese adult males; their role as leaders of the family diet
c. obese adult females; their role as food preparers
d. dietary change; reduced physical activity
The study of primate vocal communication:
a. has been used to understand the language evolution of all primates.
b. has resulted in chimps and gorillas demonstrating an ability to speak.
c. can give us insights into the selective pressures that may have shaped the evolution of
language.
d. demonstrates that gossip is not exclusively human.
The three eras that make up earth history are:
a. strata, stratigraphy, and striations.
b. Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene.
c. Early, Middle, and Upper Miocene.
d. Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.
Homeotic (Hox) genes are:
a. structural genes.
b. responsible for the development and location of key body parts.
c. responsible for determining the sex of offspring.
d. not used during embryonic development.
Somatic cells are characterized by all of the following EXCEPT:
a. each includes a nucleus.
b. they are used in multiple tissues throughout the body.
c. each contains half a copy of an organism’s DNA.
d. each contains a complete copy of all of an organism’s DNA.
A central theme of human evolution is:
a. an increasing adaptive flexibility.
b. a decreasing cranial capacity.
c. a decreasing body size.
d. a more robust jaw.