The primary focus of antiquarians in North America concerned:
A.the desire to classify human biological variation
B.an interest in the physical evolution of hominins
C.the relationship between Native Americans and the archaeological record
D.all of the above
E.only A and C
What anatomical feature indicated that the Taung child was bipedal?
A.the structure of the knee joint
B.the location of the foramen magnum
C.the non-opposable big toe
D.the relatively short arms
E.the broad, short pelvis
When male langurs take over another male’s group, they sometimes kill all young
infants. The sociobiological explanation for this behavior is that it:
A.increases the reproductive success of the male
B.causes the infant’s mother to cease lactation and resume cycling
C.the mother becomes sexually receptive to the new male
D.all of the above
E.only A and B
Stresses imposed by living at high altitude include:
A.reduced available oxygen
B.increased exposure to cold and wind
C.a reduced nutritional base
D.all of these
E.A and B only
Recent re-interpretations of Zhoukoudian have questioned all but which of the
following conclusions?
A.Evidence from the site indicates a diet based on hunting and gathering.
B.It likely represented a habitation site.
C.The inhabitants of the site intentionally used and controlled fire.
D.Many of the bones show evidence for cooking.
E.The skeletal remains are consistent with “classic” Asian Homo-erectus forms.
Genetic fitness is best described as:
A.relative reproductive success of an individual
B.relative degree of inherited strength or stamina
C.relative success of one species versus another
D.the extent to which an individual is genetically suited to obtain food
E.all of these
The entire sequence of DNA bases responsible for the manufacture of a protein or part
of a protein is called
A.a helix
B.a codon
C.a polypeptide
D.an amino acid
E.a gene
Which of the following is best describes the current position on the role of humans in
megafaunal extinctions?
A.Humans likely played only a small role in this event.
B.Humans and disease played an equal role in this event.
C.Human overhunting was the primary cause.
D.They were likely the result of an extreme period of cold at the end of the Ice Age.
E.none of these
Paleo-Indian subsistence is best defined as:
A.variable based on local environmental conditions
B.based mostly on marine resources
C.a uniform pattern of specialized megafauna exploitation
D.primarily associated with gathering nut and seed crops
E.focused almost exclusively on mammoths and mastodons
Which of the following best describes the nature of Sumerian political organization?
A.large, loosely organized confederations of allied cities
B.autonomous city-states with smaller satellite communities and associated cropland
C.a single empire based in Uruk city
D.two independent societies located along the Upper and Lower Euphrates
E.large urban centers and autonomous rural farming communities
What common factor does Trigger propose all early civilizations share?
A.comparable periods of environmental change
B.the presence of increasingly limited access to information
C.similar solutions to the need to manage increasingly complex societies
D.all early civilizations emerged in the same basic type of environment
E.all of the above
What factors serve as the primary difference between humans and other apes?
A.cognitive abilities
B.presence of culture
C.habitual bipedalism
D.all of the above
E.only A and C
Which of the following describes effects that threaten the condition of homeostasis?
A.stress
B.acclimatization
C.polymorphisms
D.vectors
E.all of these
The recent use of the term hominin as a taxonomic category has extensively used what
source of evidence?
A.molecular
B.physiology
C.geography
D.fossil evidence
E.all of these
A population is defined by:
A.a group currently experiencing similar changes in allele frequencies
B.increasingly genetically similar due to small size
C.geographic proximity
D.a group whose members can successfully reproduce and produce fertile offspring
E.a community within a species whose members are more likely to mate with each
The dry land connection between Asia and America is associated with which proposed
models for the entrance of people to the New World?
A.North Atlantic Ice-Edge Corridor
B.Pacific Coastal Route
C.Bering Land Bridge
D.none of the above
E.both B and C
Which of the following best describes the degree of sexual dimorphism inH. erectus?
A.It is the same as in modern humans.
B.It is as high as gorillas.
C.They exhibit less sexual dimorphism than modern humans.
D.It is higher than that of humans.
E.The degree of dimorphism is not known.
Gametes are typically found in what part of an organism?
A.cell nuclei
B.mitochondria
C.cytoplasm
D.ovaries
E.all of these
The early modern remains from the sites of and Qafzeh indicate that:
A.there is no overlap between Neandertals and modern humans in the Near East
B.modern humans occupied the Near East as early as 130,000 years ago
C.there is overlap in the occupations of Neandertals and modern humans
D.Neandertal populations clearly occur after those of modern humans
E.only B and D
Acclimatization refers to:
A.long-term adaptations of species to certain environmental conditions
B.short-term physiological responses in individuals
C.the appearance of new species
D.slowly occurring genetic change in populations
E.none of these
The fossil evidence for the Plio-Pleistocene hominins indicates which of the following
was NOT part of their adaptive pattern?
A.a consistent trend favoring increased cranial capacity
B.relatively restricted home ranges
C.continued reliance on arboreal habitats
D.the development of an accelerated developmental pattern
E.relative constant body size
Hunter-gatherers in Western North America, particularly the Great Basin, tended to
focus on what environmental feature?
A.marshes
B.deciduous forests
C.coastal resources
D.bison herds
E.all of these
Environmental approaches for explaining the origins of domestication argue that it
represents a more intensive use of the environment caused by:
A.the inherent predisposition of humans to develop domestication in response to
environmental triggers
B.some change in a society’s ability to feed its members
C.the environmental changes that occurred at the end of the Pleistocene
D.all of the above
E.only B and C
Which civilization is associated with the initial development of cultural unity and
centralized authority in the northern Peruvian highlands and coast?
A.Inka
B.Chavn
C.Nasca
D.Moche
E.Wari
The seemingly sudden appearance of fully domesticated sheep, goats, wheat, and barley
in southeastern Europe, along with a host of specific Near Eastern cultural traits is
evidence for:
A.the influence of eastern Asia on the development of agriculture in Europe
B.both the migration of farmers and diffusion of the idea of agriculture from the Near
East
C.the independent development of agriculture in this region
D.the presence of single, Near Eastern point of origin for domestication and agriculture
E.none of these
The interaction of both physical and cultural aspects of hominin behavior is known as?
A.biocultural evolution
B.mosaic evolution
C.bio-cognition
D.taphonomy
E.paleoecology
The cold climate of the Neandertals may explain what distinctive morphological
feature?
A.the linear body build
B.their large brain size
C.the occipital bun
D.their relatively small noses
E.all of these
Which of the following refers to the process of attaching a handle to a tool?
A.haft
B.hilt
C.fix
D.flake
E.artifact
Why did northern Europeans shift to a more meat-rich diet during the Holocene?
A.Fewer plant resources were available.
B.They domesticated wild cattle.
C.Animals became more abundant.
D.The bow allowed them to hunt more successfully.
E.only C and D
What environmental conditions were associated with the interglacial periods in Africa?
A.an increase in rainfall
B.increased desertification
C.a decrease in mean temperature
D.more pronounced monsoon cycles
E.increased aridity
Taphonomy is defined as:
A.the precise temporal and spatial relationship between artifacts and features
B.the study of hominin locomotion
C.the study of site formation processes
D.the study of past environment
E.establishing chronological relationships within a site
Vervets make specific vocalizations for different:
A.predators
B.food items
C.water sources
D.individuals in the group
E.activities (e.g., grooming, eating)
DNA replication in the process of mitosis results in the formation of:
A.protein synthesis
B.daughter cells
C.gametes
D.mutations
E.rDNA
All non-sex chromosomes are called:
A.gametes
B.karyotypes
C.autosomes
D.centromeres
E.autosomes
During which geological era did the continents first assume their modern position?
A.Holocene
B.Paleozoic
C.Mesozoic
D.Paleocene
E.Cenozoic