Human Origins
Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
This course explores the biological and cultural evolution of humanity from our earliest primate ancestors to the emergence of modern Homo sapiens. Students will examine key fossil discoveries, the development of early tool technologies, and the environmental and social factors that shaped hominin evolution. Topics include evolutionary theory, major hominin species, comparative anatomy, and genetics, as well as the archaeological evidence for the origins of language, art, and complex societies. Emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach, the course draws upon anthropology, paleontology, genetics, and archaeology to provide a comprehensive understanding of human origins and our place in the natural world.
Recommended Textbook
Essentials of Physical Anthropology 3rd Edition by Clark Spencer Larsen
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580 Verified Questions
580 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: What Is Physical Anthropology
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Sample Questions
Q1) An archaeological field school is announced in your anthropology course.The description says that you will travel to Belize to learn about the lives of the ancient Mayans.What, primarily, do you expect to learn during this field school?
A)what species of nonhuman primate occupies this region
B)how current populations of immigrants have changed local dialects
C)how to excavate and study material culture
D)how to socially navigate life in a Central American setting
Answer: C
Q2) Just before the arrival of the Spanish on St.Catherines Island, people there:
A)were primarily fishermen.
B)had adopted maize agriculture.
C)became the first farmers of the region.
D)were vegetarians by choice.
Answer: B
Q3) Forensic anthropologists:
A)focus their work on skeletal analysis of individuals.
B)study skeletal remains from past human populations.
C)study the evolution of human skeletal traits.
D)do not work outside academia.
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: Evolution: Constructing a Fundamental Scientific Theory
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Sample Questions
Q1) Cuvier, Lamarck, and Erasmus Darwin all shared an idea of evolution; however, their ideas all lacked:
A)the longevity necessary for evolution to take place.
B)a basic understanding of inheritance.
C)an understanding of variation.
D)a mechanism for evolutionary change.
Answer: D
Q2) Darwin observed that adaptations:
A)resulted from supernatural forces.
B)did not vary among Galápagos finches living in different habitats.
C)were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction.
D)were peripheral to evolutionary change.
Answer: C
Q3) What are the classification levels of humans from order to species?
A)Chordata, Mammalia, Haplorhini, Hominoidea, Homo, and sapiens
B)Primates, Haplorhini, Anthropoidea, Catarrhini, Hominoidea, Hominidea, Homininae, Hominine, Homo, and sapiens
C)Primates, Strepsirhini, Catarrhini, Hominoidea, Hominidea, Homo, and sapiens
D)Mammalia, Platyrrhini, Hominioidea, Hominidae, Homo, and sapiens
Answer: B
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Genetics: Reproducing Life and Producing
Variation
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Sample Questions
Q1) An individual that is homozygous at the locus that determines ABO blood type may have any of the following EXCEPT type _______ blood.
A)AB
B)O
C)A
D)B
Answer: A
Q2) Somatic cells include all of the following EXCEPT: A)lung cells.
B)gametes.
C)skin cells.
D)neurons.
Answer: B
Q3) The presence of a recessive allele:
A)can always be determined from the phenotype.
B)can be masked in the phenotype.
C)is expressed in the phenotype alongside a dominant allele.
D)can never be expressed in the phenotype.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Genes and Their Evolution: Population Genetics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is NOT a genetic disorder that decreases susceptibility to malaria?
A)G6PD deficiency (favism)
B)sickle-cell anemia
C)Huntington's chorea
D)thalassemia
Q2) Mutations in DNA found in which cells are most likely to have significant evolutionary consequences?
A)sex cells (gametes)
B)red blood cells
C)skin pigment cells
D)brain cells
Q3) Together, all of the alleles contained within a group of interbreeding individuals are known as a:
A)gene pool.
B)population.
C)clinal distribution.
D)polymorphism.
Q4) Why is a frameshift mutation far more likely to lead to a defective protein than a point mutation?
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Chapter 5: Biology in the Present: Living People
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Sample Questions
Q1) Genetic adaptation:
A)occurs at the population level via natural selection.
B)occurs at the individual level during childhood.
C)occurs at the individual level throughout an individual's lifetime.
D)involves using material culture to make living possible in certain settings.
Q2) When epiphyses fuse to the diaphyses:
A)long bone growth is slowed.
B)full adult height is attained.
C)the adolescent growth spurt begins.
D)the diaphyses continue to grow but the epiphyses stop growing.
Q3) Relative to people with a history of living in temperate climates, the Inuit and other cold-adapted populations:
A)have lower BMRs.
B)consume more carbohydrates.
C)reduce peripheral body temperatures to maintain core temperatures.
D)have short limbs and large bodies.
Q4) Discuss the obesity pandemic.Include current studies that demonstrate likely causes.
Q5) Discuss the origins of racism.Include early scientists and their views on human variation.
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Chapter 6: Biology in the Present: the Other Living Primates
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Sample Questions
Q1) Prehensile tails are:
A)present in catarrhine primates.
B)present in most primates.
C)present only in some platyrrhines.
D)made strictly of muscle.
Q2) Relative to body size, primate brain size is:
A)proportional to human brain size.
B)more or less the same in large and small primates.
C)smaller than in other large mammals.
D)larger among great apes than among other primates.
Q3) Describe the arboreal adaptation of primates and include specific anatomical characteristics.
Q4) Dietary plasticity in primates refers to:
A)eating a wide variety of foods.
B)lack of diversity of diets over time.
C)diets composed of a variety of red meats.
D)diets composed of a variety of fruits.
Q5) Discuss the diversity of the dentition among primates.Pay particular attention to how form follows function with regard to dental morphology and diet.
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Chapter 7: Primate Sociality, Social Behavior, and Culture
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Sample Questions
Q1) Kin selection refers to:
A)nonaltruistic behavior toward other members of the kin group.
B)altruistic behavior that increases the donor's inclusive fitness.
C)altruistic behavior that promotes kin-like bonding among nonkin.
D)behavior that increases only the donor's fitness.
Q2) 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.
Q3) What have scientists learned about the function of primate vocalizations and how they relate to the evolution of human language?
Q4) 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.
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Chapter 8: Fossils and Their Place in Time and Nature
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Sample Questions
Q1) Igneous rock can be dated with which of the following methods?
A)radiopotassium dating
B)dendrochronology
C)radiocarbon dating
D)fluorine dating
Q2) The study of what happens to an organism's remains after death is:
A)archaeology.
B)cryptozoology.
C)forensic biology.
D)taphonomy.
Q3) A stratigraphic layer in one location overwhelmingly represents one species, while the same species is discovered in a similar stratigraphic layer hundreds of kilometers away.What method is used to provide an estimate of age for this layer and this species?
A)biostratigraphy
B)dendrochronology
C)Steno's law of superposition
D)carbon 14 dating
Q4) How do dating methods help to support the theory of natural selection and biological evolution?
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Chapter 9: Primate Origins and Evolution: the
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Q1) The most likely contender for the common ancestor of all later catarrhines is:
A)Oligopithecus.
B)Aegyptopithecus.
C)Parapithecus.
D)Apidium.
Q2) Which Eocene organisms had clear primate characteristics like a postorbital bar, opposable thumbs, nails, and a large brain?
A)proprimates and euprimates
B)adapids and omomyids
C)basal anthropoids
D)plesiadapiforms
Q3) Why is the Fayum depression in Egypt such an important site for understanding the origin and diversification of anthropoid primates?
Q4) Apes first appear in Europe and Asia from about:
A)17 mya.
B)6 mya.
C)10 mya.
D)12 mya.
Q5) Name and briefly describe the three hypotheses of primate origins.
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Chapter 10: Early Hominin Origins and Evolution: the Roots of Humanity
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Sample Questions
Q1) Humans use their molars for:
A)biting.
B)crushing.
C)shearing.
D)mashing.
Q2) Evidence indicating that Orrorin tugenensis was bipedal comes mainly from which part of the skeleton?
A)femur (thighbone)
B)skull
C)foot
D)pelvis
Q3) Beginning more than 3 mya, at least two lineages of hominin emerged, one that led to the genus Homo and one that:
A)included the now extinct descendants of Au.afarensis.
B)gave rise to the genus Ardipithecus.
C)was an evolution of other australopithecine lineages.
D)ended with Au.africanus.
Q4) Discuss the Ardipithecus ramidus fossil and its implications for understanding human evolution.
Page 12
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Chapter 11: The Origins and Evolution of Early Homo
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Q1) Homo erectus was likely the first hominid to successfully migrate to regions beyond Africa.Discuss how the biology and culture of Homo erectus led to its success on three major continents with varying environments.
Q2) Modern anatomical features of the Nariokotome Boy include:
A)relatively short arms and long legs.
B)brain size within the modern human variation.
C)relatively long arms and short legs.
D)a large nose with an improved sense of smell.
Q3) Southern and eastern African sites dating to 2.5 mya show habitats indicating:
A)the spread of C3 plants.
B)reduction both in habitat types and in dietary diversity.
C)a more frequent use of tools for the digging and processing of roots and tubers.
D)none of the above
Q4) Describe Homo erectus's cranial and postcranial anatomical characteristics.How is this species significantly different from earlier hominids, and how did these characteristics increase the success of this species over that of their ancestors?
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Chapter 12: The Origins, Evolution, and Dispersal of Modern People
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Q1) In Atapeura 5, early archaic Homo sapiens and Neandertal specimens show heavy wear on the incisors and canines, indicating:
A)the use of the front teeth for gripping materials.
B)the purposeful modification of teeth to demonstrate social rank, as with the Aztecs.
C)their use for shaping the cutting edges of stone blades.
D)the chewing of massive amounts of fibrous materials.
Q2) Archaic Homo sapiens:
A)occurs only in Europe and Asia.
B)shows a mixture of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens traits.
C)is dated to the late Pliocene.
D)is often found with Oldowan stone tools.
Q3) The discovery of modern/archaic hybrid fossils supports which model of modern human origins?
A)out-of-Africa
B)multiregional continuity
C)assimilation
D)None of these models supports such a discovery.
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Chapter 13: Our Last 10,000 Years: Agriculture, Population, and
Biology
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Sample Questions
Q1) As towns and cities began to compete for increasingly limited resources:
A)organized warfare developed.
B)cooperation among neighbors developed.
C)agriculture increased as well.
D)violence decreased.
Q2) Cavities in the teeth are also called:
A)hypoplasias.
B)enamel defects.
C)dentin foramina.
D)dental caries.
Q3) Two-thirds of calorie intake comes from the key cereal grains domesticated in the earlier Holocene, especially:
A)barley, sorghum, and wheat.
B)wheat, barley, corn, and rice.
C)oats, wheat, and rice.
D)corn, rice, and beans.
Q4) Discuss how morphologic changes to modern humans' faces, mandibles, and teeth changed after the shift to agriculture and consumption of softer foods.
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