1
The origins of humanity date deep in geological time, to the
(A)
Cenozoic era.
(B)
Holocene period.
(C)
Oligocene epoch.
(D)
Eocene epoch.
2
The current view of human evolution can be described as
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
The answer is punctuated equilibrium.
3
Although there are problems with such categorizations, all of the following have been used
in recent years to assign a fossil to the genus Homo EXCEPT
(A)
an absolute brain size of 600 cubic centimeters or more.
(B)
possession of some language.
(C)
opposable thumbs.
(D)
the ability to manufacture iron tools.
The answer is the ability to manufacture iron tools.
4
Cladistic analysis tends to emphasize
(A)
diversity over homogeneity.
(B)
homogeneity over diversity.
(C)
morphological similarities.
(D)
monophyletic ancestry.
The answer is diversity over homogeneity.
5
Hominin evolution can be described as a series of adaptive radiations that took place over
at least
(A)
50,000 years.
(B)
500,000 years.
The answer is Cenozoic era.
(C)
5 million years.
(D)
50 million years.
6
Louis and Mary Leakey are most closely associated with
(A)
the Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.
(B)
the Awash Desert, Ethiopia.
(C)
Koobi Fora, Kenya.
(D)
Koto Toro, Chad.
Feedback:
The answer is the Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.
7
Stone tool expert Nicholas Toth has studied replicas of Oldowan artifacts and has detected
wear from all of the following activities EXCEPT
(A)
butchering meat.
(B)
sawing wood.
(C)
cutting soft plants.
(D)
mining for obsidian.
Feedback:
The answer is mining for obsidian.
8
Describe the Pleistocene environment and its environmental changes.
Answer:
9
Explain how potassium-argon dating is performed. Why is this process valuable when
studying human evolution?
Answer:
10
Compare and contrast Homo habilis and hominins from Australopithecus.
Answer:
11
Define bipedalism. When did it develop in our early human ancestors? Why was it
important in the evolution of humans?
Answer:
12
A team of researchers working in the Awash Desert in Ethiopia discovered teeth and skull
fragments from a new hominin form dating to about 2.5 million years ago, which they
named
(A)
Australopithecus garhi.
Feedback:
The answer is 5 million years.
(B)
Australopithecus boisei.
(C)
Australopithecus robustus.
(D)
Australopithecus africanus.
13
Dramatic confirmation of hominin bipedalism by 3.6 million years ago comes from Laetoli in
Tanzania, where Mary Leakey discovered
(A)
evidence of elephant hunting by early hominins.
(B)
a complete Australopithecus skeleton.
(C)
two almost-intact Australopithecus feet.
(D)
footprints of two hominins.
The answer is footprints of two hominins.
14
The famous Australopithecine Lucy belongs to the species
(A)
Australopithecus anamensis.
(B)
Sahelanthropus tchadensis.
(C)
Australopithecus afarensis.
(D)
Australopithecus robustus.
The answer is Australopithecus afarensis.
15
The Pleistocene epoch
(A)
was a period of extremely hot temperatures.
(B)
was a continuous ice age.
(C)
is sometimes called the Age of Mammals.
(D)
is sometimes called the Age of Humanity.
The answer is sometimes called the Age of Humanity.
16
The Leakeys revolutionized the study of human evolution with their find in Olduvai Gorge in
1959 of a hominin skull they named
(A)
Homo sapiens.
(B)
Homo erectus.
(C)
Zinjanthropus boisei.
(D)
Australopithecus.
The answer is Australopithecus garhi.
17
Hominins adopted bipedalism
(A)
at least 4 million years ago.
(B)
at least 40,000 years ago.
(C)
before they progressed to knuckle walking.
(D)
as part of the adaptation toward eating more plants.
The answer is at least 4 million years ago.
18
All of the following are major adaptive problems early hominins faced EXCEPT
(A)
they were large mammals.
(B)
they were terrestrial.
(C)
they lived in an open savanna environment.
(D)
they were hunter-gatherers.
The answer is they were hunter-gatherers.
19
Humans and most other tree-loving placental mammals are part of the order
(A)
Great apes.
(B)
Primates.
(C)
Prosimians.
(D)
Pongids.
The answer is Primates.
20
Of the two suborders of primates, apes, humans, and monkeys are
(A)
anthropoids.
(B)
primates.
(C)
prosimians.
(D)
pongids.
The answer is anthropoids.
21
The suborder of primates that includes lemurs and tarsiers is
The answer is Zinjanthropus boisei.
(A)
anthropoids.
(B)
Old World monkeys.
(C)
prosimians.
(D)
pongids.
22
Although we don’t know exactly when humankind separated from the nonhuman primates,
we do know this divergence took place in
(A)
Asia.
(B)
Australia.
(C)
Europe.
(D)
Africa.
Feedback:
The answer is Africa.
23
A deep-sea core from the Arabian Sea that probed nearly 1,000 feet of seabed deposits in
an effort to understand climate conditions on Earth has revealed
(A)
swings from wetter to drier conditions and back about every 23,000 years.
(B)
continuous ice ages as recently as 10,000 years ago.
(C)
a perceptible rise in temperature dating to 23,000 years ago.
(D)
swings in temperature from hotter to cooler every 2,300 years.
Feedback:
The answer is swings from wetter to drier conditions and back about every 23,000 years.
24
The earliest known hominin, found in Chad, Central Africa, has been named
(A)
Ardipithecus ramidus.
(B)
Sahelanthropus tchadensis.
(C)
Australopithecus africanus.
(D)
Australopithecus robustus.
Feedback:
The answer is Sahelanthropus tchandensis.
25
Discuss the “grandmother hypothesis.” How does this idea change the way we think about
gender roles in prehistoric society?
Answer:
Feedback:
The answer is prosimians.