1.Bioarchaeologistsstudy:​
a.​macrobotanicalremainsfromarchaeologicalsitesinordertointerpretpastinteractionsbetweenhuman
populationsandplants.
b.​faunalassemblagesfromarchaeologicalsitesinordertodeterminepastinteractionsbetweenhuman
populationsandanimals.
c.​thehumanbiologicalcomponentofthearchaeologicalrecord.
d.​Alloftheanswers;bioarchaeologistsstudyallaspectsofancientlife(plant,animal,andhuman)in
archaeologicalcontexts.
2.Thebestplaceforabioarchaeologisttolooktodeterminethesexofhumanskeletalremainsisthe:​
a.​skull.
b.​pelvis.
c.​sacrum.
d.​dentition.
3.Howdoesthesciaticnotchoffemalesdifferfromthatofmales?​
a.​Itisnarrowerinfemalesandwiderinmales.
b.​Itiswiderinfemalesandnarrowerinmales.
c.​Itismoresensitivetoperiodsofphysiologicalstressinfemalesthaninmales.
d.​Itismoresensitivetomechanicalstressesinfemalesthaninmales.
4.Thefirstthingabioarchaeologistwoulddowhenanalyzingahumanskeletalassemblagewouldbeto:​
a.​confirmthatallthebonesintheassemblagewerehuman.
b.​calculateMNIandNISP.
c.​determinethesexandageatdeathoftheindividualsrepresented.
d.​determineanypaleopathologypresentintheindividualsrepresented.
5.​Whatcouldabioarchaeologistlookattodeterminetheageatdeathofamaturehumanskeleton(>30yearsold)?
a.​Tootheruptionpatterns
b.​Patternsofbonefusion
c.​Paleopathologiessuchasosteoarthritisandenamelhypoplasias
d.​Patternsofwearonthepubicsymphysis
6.Whyisitpossibletoassessageatdeathfromtootheruptionpatternsinjuvenilehumanskeletons?​
a.​Becausethepatternandtimingofcrownformationandtootheruptionisconsistentamonghuman
populations.
b.​Becausealthoughthetimingofcrownformationandtootheruptionvariesamonghumanpopulations,itvaries
atknownrates.
c.​Itisonlypossibleifthesexoftheindividualisalsoknown,becausetootheruptionpatternsdifferbetween
malesandfemales.
d.​Noneoftheanswersarecorrect.
7.Whatcouldabioarchaeologistlookattodeterminetheageatdeathofajuvenilehumanskeleton?​
a.​Tootheruptionpatterns
b.​Patternsofbonefusion
c.​Patternsofwearonthepubicsymphysis
d.​Tootheruptionandbonefusionpatterns
8.Harrislinesanddentalhypoplasiascanbeusedbybioarchaeologiststomakeinferencesabout​
a.​diseaseandmalnourishmentinoldage.
b.​activitylevelsanddietofmenandwomen.
c.​diseaseandmalnourishmentduringinfant-to-adolescentgrowthperiods.
d.​theamountofmeatinthedietofprehistoricpopulations.
9.Youareexaminingaburialsite,andareinterestedinthedietofthepeople,inparticular,howmuchmeatpeople
wereconsumingonadailybasis.Whatmightyouexamine?​
a.​Quantityofgroundstoneintheburials
b.​LevelsofNitrogen-15relativetoNitrogen-14inthebones
c.​Sizeofmuscleattachmentsonbones
d.​LevelsofCarbon-13relativetoCarbon12inthebones
10.Ifabioarchaeologistislookingatthefusionofepiphysesonahumanskeleton,heorsheismostlikelytryingto
determine:​
a.​race.
b.​age.
c.​sex.
d.​paleopathology.
11.Whichofthefollowingistrueofirondeficiencyanemia?​
a.​Itcanbeinducedbyalackofredmeatinthediet,chronicdiarrhea,orparasites.
b.​Itcancauseporotichyperostosis,whichresultsinthesurfaceoftheskulltakingonaspongyappearance.
c.​Itcancausecibraorbitalia,whichresultsintheboneoftheuppereyesocketstakingonaspongy
appearance.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
12.WhichofthefollowingistrueoftheBushmenofsouthernAfrica?​
a.​Theyrejectthename“Bushmen”(whichtheyacquiredfromtheDutch)todaybecauseofitsderogatory
originandmeaning.
b.​TheyprefertocallthemselvestheSan,!Kung,orJu/’hoansi,indigenousnamesthatrefertoallBushmenasa
whole.
c.​ThereisnoindigenoustermfortheBushmenasawhole,becausetherearemanydifferentgroupsof
Bushmen.
d.​Theyhavebeenthesubjectofverylittleanthropologicalinvestigation,andasaresultlittleisknownoftheir
cultureandhistory.
13.Ifanarchaeologistisstudyingancientpatternsofdiseaseanddisorders,heorsheisstudying:​
a.bioarchaeology.
b.​paleopathology.
c.​mortalityprofiles.
d.​paleodemography.
14.Ifabioarchaeologistfindsevidenceofosteoarthritisinwhichboneshavedevelopedadistinct“lipping”atthepoint
ofarticulation,heorshehasfound:​
a.​osteophytes.
b.​enamelhypoplasias.
c.​eburnation.
d.​Harrislines.
15.Eburnationisa:​
a.​symptomofirondeficiencyanemiainwhichtheskulltakesonaporousappearance.
b.​horizontallineardefectintoothenamelindicatinganepisodeofphysiologicalstress.
c.​signofosteoarthritisinwhichtheepiphysesoflongbonesarewornsmooth,causingthemtotakeona
varnish-likeappearance.
d.​signofosteoarthritisinwhichbonesdevelopadistinct“lipping”atthepointofarticulation.
16.Whatcanbioarchaeologistsdeterminefromenamelhypoplasias?​
a.​Howoldachildwaswhenthegrowtharresteventtookplace.
b.​Thedurationoftheperiodofstresswhichresultedinthehypoplasia.
c.​Whethertheyresultedfromphysicaltraumatotheface,parasiticinfection,ormalnutrition.
d.​Bothhowoldachildwaswhenthegrowtharresteventtookplaceandthedurationoftheperiodofstress
whichresultedinthehypoplasia.
17.YouareexcavatingaNativeAmericanhumanburialsitewhichcontainsbothmalesandfemales.Afterobtaining
permissionfromcurrentNativeAmericantribesbelievedtohavedescendedfromthesepeople,youanalyzethe
bones.Younoticeahigherrateofosteoarthritisinthelumbarvertebraeofthefemaleskeletonsincomparisonto
themaleskeletons.Whatmightyouconcludefromthisevidence?​
a.​Femalesweredoingmoreintensewalkingthanthemales,travelingfardistancestogatherplants.
b.​Femaleswereputtingmorestressontheirbacks,perhapsfromgrindingcornorcarryingchildren.
c.​Femalesdidnothaveaccesstothesameamountofhighqualityfoodasmales,andwerethussufferingfrom
malnutrition.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
18.Howismechanicalstress,orworkload,detectableinthehumanskeleton?​
a.​Throughsignsofosteoarthritisinwhichthecartilagebetweenjointswearsaway,oftenbecauseofoveruseof
thejoint
b.​Throughgrowtharrestfeatures,suchasHarrislinesandenamelhypoplasias
c.​Throughmortalityprofilesthatdepictthevariousagesatdeathofaburialpopulation
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
19.TheStillwaterburialpopulationwasnotanidealcandidateforapaleodemographicstudybecause:​
a.​theStillwaterburialpopulationconsistedalmostentirelyofadults;becausechildrenwerenotrepresented,
littlecouldbesaidaboutthepaleodemographyofthepopulation.
b.​paleodemographyworksbestwithskeletalsamplesderivedfromdifferentbiologicalpopulations,andthe
Stillwaterburialsrepresentedonlyonebiologicalpopulation.
c.​paleodemographyworksbestwithaskeletalsamplerepresentingonlyafewyearsordecades,andthe
Stillwaterburialsdatedtoatimeperiodof600yearsorlonger.
d.​mostoftheindividualsintheStillwaterburialpopulationwereolderthan50yearsold,andsoyoungeradults
werenotrepresented.
20.Thebestbonefordeterminingstaturefromhumanskeletalmaterialisthe:​
a.​tibia.
b.​femur.
c.​ulna.
d.​radius.
21.TheStillwaterMarshburialpopulationhadaremarkablylowpercentageofdentalcariesbecause:​
a.​gritfromplantfoodgroundonmetateswasincorporatedintotheirdiet;thisgritactedasanaturalabrasive
andhelpedtocleantheirteeth.
b.​theyateverylittlemeat,largelysubsistingonmaizeagriculture.
c.​theywerestrictlyhunter-gatherers,andsotheirdietwasverylowinsimplecarbohydratesandstarches.
d.​Noneoftheanswers;theStillwaterMarshburialpopulationhadanextremelyhighpercentageofdental
cariesbecausetheirdietwashighincarbohydrates.
22.IfstableisotopeanalysisisconductedonahumanskeletonthatduringlifeconsumedadietrichinC4plantssuchas
maizeandverylittlemeat,thentheisotopicratiosoftheboneswouldshowahighratioof:​
a.​12Cto13C.
b.​13Cto12C.
c.​15Nto14N.
d.​13Cto15N.
23.​SchoeningerinterpretedthegreaterrangeofnitrogenisotoperatiosintheStillwaterburialpopulationcomparedto
thePecosorOntariopopulationsasreflecting:
a.​greaterdietaryvariabilityinthePecosandOntariopopulationsthanintheStillwaterpopulation.
b.​greaterdietaryvariabilityintheStillwaterpopulationthaninthePecosandOntariopopulations
c.​thefactthattheStillwaterpopulationhadanincreasingdependenceonmeatthroughtime
d.​anindividual’sageorsex;intheStillwaterpopulation,childrenatelessmeatthanadultsandmalesatemore
meatthanfemales.
24.WhichofthefollowingistrueofmitochondrialDNA?​
a.Itispresentinthenucleusofeverycell.
b.​Itisonlytransferredfrommothertooffspring.
c.​ItmutatesatamuchslowerratethannuclearDNA.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
25.TheideathattheoriginofallmodernhumanscanbetracedtoasingleAfricanancestor(“Eve”):​
a.​isbasedonevidencefrommitochondrialDNA.
b.​isacceptedbynearlyallbiologicalanthropologiststoday.
c.​meansthatNeanderthalsandmodernhumansmostlikelyinterbred.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
26.The“OutofAfrica”hypothesisofmodernhumanoriginssuggeststhattheearliestmodernhumansfannedoutof
AfricatoreplaceotherhominidsinotherpartsoftheOldWorldroughly:​
a.​50,000yearsago.
b.​100,000yearsago.
c.​200,000yearsago.
d.​300,000yearsago.
27.ArchaeologicalresearchhasconclusivelyprovenwhichofthefollowingabouttheearliestoccupationoftheNew
World?​
a.​CloviswasthefirstandonlymigrationintoNorthAmerica,fromwhichallnativepeoplesoftheNewWorld
descended.
b.​TheearliestoccupantsoftheNewWorldtraveledfromAsia,acrosstheBeringlandbridge,throughtheice-
freecorridorbetweenthecontinentalicesheetssometimeduringtheheightofthelastglacialbetween25,000
and10,000yearsago.
c.​TheearliestoccupantsoftheNewWorldtraveledalongthewesterncoastofNorthAmerica,bypassingthe
interiorandmakingitallthewaytoTierradelFuego;CloviswasalatermigrationfromAsiaadaptedto
terrestrialhuntingandwasthefirsttooccupytheinteriorofNorthAmerica.
d.​Noneoftheanswers;thetimingandnatureoftheinitialcolonizationoftheNewWorldisstillverymuchupin
theair.
28.CoprolitesfromtheNewWorldthatare12,000ormorecalendaryearsold:​
a.​aresomeoftheearliestevidenceofapresenceinNorthAmerica.
b.​areextremelyrare.
c.​suggestthatthepeoplingoftheAmericascanbeexplainedbyonlyonemigrationofpeoplefrom
northeasternAsia.
d.​aretoopoorlypreservedtoprovidebioarchaeologistswithanymeaningfuldata.
29.StudiesofsomeoftheskeletaldataofNeanderthalshaveconcluded:​
a.​theyaredifferentfrommodernEuropeans.
b.​thereiscontinuitybetweenNeanderthalsandmodernEuropeans.
c.​similaritieswithNativeAmericanpopulations.
d.​modernhumancapabilitiestousesymbols
30.Studiesoffromvariousmodernhumanpopulationshavefound:​
a.​livingNativeAmericansarenotrelatedtonorthernAsia.
b.​livingNativeAmericansaredescendantsofaseparatemigratorywavefromEurope.
c.​livingNativeAmericansareunlikeEuropeans,makinganancientmigrationfromEuropeaswellasfromAsia
unlikely.
d.​modernhumanpopulationsarecloseknit.
31.IntheU.S.conductingresearchonAmericanIndianremainsisasensitiveissueandraisesmajorethicalissues.
Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?​
a.​Somemodernarchaeologistsbelieveweshouldstopanalyzinghumanremains.
b.​ManymuseumscuratebothIndianandnon-Indianremains;theproportionofnon-Indianskeletons
outweighstheNativeAmericanskeletons.
c.​Reburyingnon-NativeAmericanremainsseemstobeadisrespectfulthingtodo.
d.​ArchaeologistsbegancuratingNativeAmericanremainsinmuseumcollectionsveryrecently.
32.Ancientculturalpracticesmixhumanskeletalremainstogether,makingitdifficulttogroupskeletalremainsby
individual.Someexamplesofthismentionedinthetextinclude​
a.​bundleburialswherethebodieswereplacedinacommunalgrave.
b.​bodieslaidouttogetherinacharnalhousetodecompose.
c.​bodieslaidtorestinariverwherethecurrentscatteredtheremains.
d.​bothbundleburialswherethebodieswereplacedinacommunalgraveandbodieslaidouttogetherina
charnalhousetodecompose.
33.LarsenwasinterestedinhowwellthepeopleofStillwaterMarshlivedbecausehewantedto​
a.​showhow“brutish”hunters-gathererswere.
b.​showthathunter-gatherersworkedveryhard.
c.​showthatthehunter-gatherershadbarelyenoughfoodtoeat.
d.​usetheskeletaldatatoprovideamoreobjectiveassessmentofforaginglifeways.
34.Anindividual’sageunder25canbedeterminedby​
a.​tootheruptionpatterns.
b.​toothwear.
c.​patternsofbonewear.
d.​bonefusion.
35.Irondeficiencyleavesadistinctivespongyappearanceon​
a.​eyeorbits.
b.​bonefusion.
c.​theskull.
d.​toothenamel.
36.AlthoughwestillhavemuchtolearnabouttheratesatwhichDNAmutates,currentstudiesshowthat​
a.theratiosofcarbonandnitrogenisotopesinboneaffecttheDNA.​
b.​statureaffectstherate.
c.​DNAstudiesareimportantinreconstructingthepast.
d.​DNAstudieswillsoonbeobsolete.
37.Geneticmaterialfoundinacell’snucleusthatisprimarilyresponsibleforanindividual’sinheritedtraitsiscalled​
a.​gene.
b.​mitochondrialDNA.
c.​nuclearDNA.
d.​molecularDNA.
38.Bioarchaeologyisaspecialtythatstraddlesthefieldsofarchaeologyandhumanbiology.​
a.True
b.False
39.Bioarchaeologistscandistinguishmalefromfemaleskeletons,butonlyforadults,notyoungchildren.​
a.True
b.False
40.Bonebreakagepatternswouldbegoodindicatorsofinterpersonalviolenceandperhapsevenwarfare.
Unfortunately,healedbonebreaksarevirtuallyindistinguishablefromunbrokenboneinprehistoricpopulations.​
a.True
b.False
41.Osteoarthritiscanresultfromcontinuousmechanicalstressonajointthroughoutalifetime.​
a.True
b.False
42.Humanboneisformedbycomplexinterrelationshipsamongtheenvironment,behavior,physiology,andcultural
behavior.​
a.True
b.False
43.Qualityoflifeoroverallhealthinaburialpopulationcanbeassessedbyanindividual’sstaturebecauseheightis
closelyrelatedtodiet.​
a.True
b.False
44.YouanalyzethestableisotopesfromanassemblageofhumanbonesfromCanada,andfindahighratioof
Nitrogen-15toNitrogen-14andalowratioofCarbon-13relativetoCarbon-12.Youshouldconcludethatthese
peopleatealotofcornandverylittlemeat.​
a.True
b.False
45.Frequenciesofdentalcaries(cavities)areexpectedtobehigherinhunter-gathererpopulationsthaninagricultural
populations.​
a.True
b.False
46.BiologicalanthropologiststodayagreethatNeanderthalsdidnotinterbreedwithmodernhumansandwereinstead
anevolutionarydeadend.​
a.True
b.False
47.CoprolitesprovideevidencefortheearliesthumanpresenceinNorthAmerica.​
a.True
b.False
48.Whatisbioarchaeology?Whatkindsofquestionsarebioarchaeologistsinterestedinanswering?Why?​
49.Describethedifferentwaysinwhichbioarchaeologistsareabletodeterminethesexofhumanskeletalmaterial.
Whereisthebestplacetolooktodeterminesex?Why?​
50.Howcanbioarchaeologistsdeterminetheageofhumanskeletalmaterial?Whatmethodsarebestfordetermining
theageofajuvenile?Whatmethodsarebestfordeterminingtheageofanadult?Describehowandwhythese
methodswork.​
51.Whatispaleopathology?Howarepaleopathologiesidentified?Whatcanbelearnedfromsuchidentification?
Givethreeexamples.​
52.Howcanbioarchaeologistsdetermineworkload?Whatisosteoarthritisandhowdobioarchaeologistsdetectitin
thehumanskeleton?Isitpossibletoinferdifferenttypesofactivitiesconductedbymalesandfemalesinthepast?
Whyorwhynot?​
53.Whatispaleodemography?Whatcanbelearnedfrompaleodemographicstudies?​
54.Howcanbioarchaeologistsreconstructthedietofancientpopulations?Whatdoesahighfrequencyofdental
cariesindicateaboutdiet?Howcanstableisotopesbeusedtoreconstructdiet?Giveexamples.​
55.WhatwerebioarchaeologistsabletolearnabouttheStillwaterburialpopulation?WerethelivesoftheStillwater
people“nasty,brutish,andshort”,representativeofan“affluentsociety”,orboth?Why?Bespecific.​
56.Whatismoleculararchaeology?Howdoesamolecularclockkeeptime?Howhasmoleculararchaeology
contributedtoourunderstandingofmodernhumanorigins?Whatisthe“outofAfrica”hypothesis?Whyisit
controversial?​
57.HowhascoproliteanalysescontributedtoourunderstandingoftheearliestoccupantsoftheNewWorld?What
arepotentialproblemsassociatedwithusingcoprolitesasasourceofinformationandhowhavetheybeen
overcome?​