Question 1

Which of the following is/are true regarding DNA in fossils?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is impossible to extract DNA from fossils. 
B)  Scientists have hominin DNA from one million years ago. 
C)  Although DNA degrades over time, scientists have been able to extract DNA from some australopithecine remains. 
D)  b and c 
E)  none of the above 
A)  It is impossible to extract DNA from fossils. 
B)  Scientists have hominin DNA from one million years ago. 
C)  Although DNA degrades over time, scientists have been able to extract DNA from some australopithecine remains. 
D)  b and c 
E)  none of the above

Question 2

Which organisms are known to use tools?

Accepted Answer

A)  only hominins 
B)  only Homo 
C)  organisms other than hominins, including chimpanzees 
D)  organisms other than hominins, including chimpanzees and corvids 
A)  only hominins 
B)  only Homo 
C)  organisms other than hominins, including chimpanzees 
D)  organisms other than hominins, including chimpanzees and corvids

Question 3

The shift in diet to animal meat with increased tool use likely caused what anatomical change in Homo erectus?

Accepted Answer

A)  increasingly flared rib cage 
B)  smaller digestive system 
C)  increased brain size 
D)  a and b 
E)  b and c 
A)  increasingly flared rib cage 
B)  smaller digestive system 
C)  increased brain size 
D)  a and b 
E)  b and c

Question 4

Which of the following is not a trait that the Australopithecines share with chimpanzees?

Accepted Answer

A)  brain volume of 400 cc 
B)  weight between 25 and 50 kg 
C)  double curved spine 
D)  curved fingers and toes 
A)  brain volume of 400 cc 
B)  weight between 25 and 50 kg 
C)  double curved spine 
D)  curved fingers and toes

Question 5

How are scientists investigating the evolution of language?

Accepted Answer

A)  by studying behavior in nonhuman relatives 
B)  by studying the genetics of language 
C)  by studying the evolution of the brain 
D)  all of the above 
A)  by studying behavior in nonhuman relatives 
B)  by studying the genetics of language 
C)  by studying the evolution of the brain 
D)  all of the above

Question 6

Primates form a ________ clade; great apes, deeply nested within the primate order, form a ________ clade.

Accepted Answer

A)  monophyletic; polyphyletic 
B)  monophyletic; monophyletic 
C)  polyphyletic; paraphyletic 
D)  polyphyletic; monophyletic 
A)  monophyletic; polyphyletic 
B)  monophyletic; monophyletic 
C)  polyphyletic; paraphyletic 
D)  polyphyletic; monophyletic

Question 7

The coccyx bone of humans and the true tail of most primates are examples of

Accepted Answer

A)  a Homologous character. 
B)  a vestigial character. 
C)  convergent evolution. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  a Homologous character. 
B)  a vestigial character. 
C)  convergent evolution. 
D)  all of the above

Question 8

How might brain shape reveal clues about hominin history?

Accepted Answer

A)  The globe-shaped brain of modern humans may result from enlargement of parts that are involved in speech. 
B)  The elongated brains of Neanderthals may reveal that their language capacity was less developed than that of modern humans. 
C)  Only brain size can give scientists clues about cognitive ability. 
D)  a and b 
E)  none of the above 
A)  The globe-shaped brain of modern humans may result from enlargement of parts that are involved in speech. 
B)  The elongated brains of Neanderthals may reveal that their language capacity was less developed than that of modern humans. 
C)  Only brain size can give scientists clues about cognitive ability. 
D)  a and b 
E)  none of the above

Question 9

You are studying how tools have evolved through cultural evolution. You find several instances where groups with very different technologies meet and there is a transfer of technology from one group to the other. This is analogous to what process in biological evolution?

Accepted Answer

A)  genetic drift 
B)  natural selection 
C)  Mendelian inheritance 
D)  horizontal gene transfer 
A)  genetic drift 
B)  natural selection 
C)  Mendelian inheritance 
D)  horizontal gene transfer

Question 10

Where are the oldest hominin fossils found?

Accepted Answer

A)  Africa 
B)  Asia 
C)  Europe 
D)  the Americas 
A)  Africa 
B)  Asia 
C)  Europe 
D)  the Americas

Question 11

What types of dental force are needed to eat seeds and nuts?

Accepted Answer

A)  crushing and grinding 
B)  shearing and cutting 
C)  gripping and tearing 
D)  all of the above 
A)  crushing and grinding 
B)  shearing and cutting 
C)  gripping and tearing 
D)  all of the above

Question 12

The end of the Miocene brought what to Africa?

Accepted Answer

A)  drop in temperature 
B)  reduced rainfall 
C)  increased food supply 
D)  a and b 
E)  a and c 
A)  drop in temperature 
B)  reduced rainfall 
C)  increased food supply 
D)  a and b 
E)  a and c

Question 13

For the most part, early human populations

Accepted Answer

A)  remained isolated. 
B)  expanded into new regions. 
C)  made frequent contact with other human populations. 
D)  remained genetically similar to other human populations. 
A)  remained isolated. 
B)  expanded into new regions. 
C)  made frequent contact with other human populations. 
D)  remained genetically similar to other human populations.

Question 14

Bottleneck and founder effects are situations that make what condition more likely to affect allele frequencies in a population?

Accepted Answer

A)  nonrandom mating 
B)  natural selection 
C)  genetic drift 
D)  mutation 
A)  nonrandom mating 
B)  natural selection 
C)  genetic drift 
D)  mutation

Question 15

What traits of Homo erectus are inferred adaptations for running?

Accepted Answer

A)  long legs 
B)  enlarged gluteus maximus 
C)  a strong arch in the foot 
D)  b and c 
E)  a, b, and c 
A)  long legs 
B)  enlarged gluteus maximus 
C)  a strong arch in the foot 
D)  b and c 
E)  a, b, and c

Question 16

Describe two hypotheses that scientists are exploring about the selective pressures that may have given rise to bipedality in the human lineage.

Accepted Answer

One hypothesis that scientists are explo

Question 17

With which species were Levallois tools first found?

Accepted Answer

A)  Homo heidelbergensis 
B)  Homo sapiens 
C)  Homo erectus 
D)  Neanderthals 
A)  Homo heidelbergensis 
B)  Homo sapiens 
C)  Homo erectus 
D)  Neanderthals

Question 18

What have studies on the evolution of the hominin brain revealed?

Accepted Answer

A)  Expansion of the arcuate fasciculus may have created links in the brain that make language possible. 
B)  Enlargement of the putamen and cerebellum may have increased the precision of the larynx. 
C)  Full-blown language may be unique to modern humans. 
D)  a and b 
E)  a, b, and c 
A)  Expansion of the arcuate fasciculus may have created links in the brain that make language possible. 
B)  Enlargement of the putamen and cerebellum may have increased the precision of the larynx. 
C)  Full-blown language may be unique to modern humans. 
D)  a and b 
E)  a, b, and c

Question 19

What does language allow for in humans that is difficult for other populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  making complex plans together 
B)  gaining a deep understanding of the inner lives of other humans 
C)  teaching each other new concepts and technologies 
D)  all of the above 
A)  making complex plans together 
B)  gaining a deep understanding of the inner lives of other humans 
C)  teaching each other new concepts and technologies 
D)  all of the above

Question 20

What is a hominin?

Accepted Answer

A)  an order of primates 
B)  a family of greater apes 
C)  a family of human-like apes 
D)  a clade of humans and human-like apes 
A)  an order of primates 
B)  a family of greater apes 
C)  a family of human-like apes 
D)  a clade of humans and human-like apes

Which of the following is/are true regarding DNA in fossils?

Which organisms are known to use tools?

The shift in diet to animal meat with increased tool use likely caused what anatomical change in Homo erectus?

Which of the following is not a trait that the Australopithecines share with chimpanzees?

How are scientists investigating the evolution of language?

Primates form a clade; great apes, deeply nested within the primate order, form a clade.

The coccyx bone of humans and the true tail of most primates are examples of

How might brain shape reveal clues about hominin history?

You are studying how tools have evolved through cultural evolution. You find several instances where groups with very different technologies meet and there is a transfer of technology from one group to the other. This is analogous to what process in biological evolution?

Where are the oldest hominin fossils found?

What types of dental force are needed to eat seeds and nuts?

The end of the Miocene brought what to Africa?

For the most part, early human populations

Bottleneck and founder effects are situations that make what condition more likely to affect allele frequencies in a population?

What traits of Homo erectus are inferred adaptations for running?

Describe two hypotheses that scientists are exploring about the selective pressures that may have given rise to bipedality in the human lineage.

With which species were Levallois tools first found?

What have studies on the evolution of the hominin brain revealed?

What does language allow for in humans that is difficult for other populations?

What is a hominin?

The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution

From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: a Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas

What the Rocks Say: How Geology and Paleontology Reveal the History of Life

The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past

Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals

The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection

Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes

The History in Our Genes

From Genes to Traits: the Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development

Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild

Sex: Causes and Consequences

After Conception: the Evolution of Life History and Parental Care

The Origin of Species

Macroevolution: the Long Run

Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other

Brains and Behavior

Evolutionary Medicine

Filters

Exam 17: Human Evolution: a New Kind of Ape

Which of the following is/are true regarding DNA in fossils?

Which organisms are known to use tools?

The shift in diet to animal meat with increased tool use likely caused what anatomical change in Homo erectus?

Which of the following is not a trait that the Australopithecines share with chimpanzees?

How are scientists investigating the evolution of language?

Primates form a ________ clade; great apes, deeply nested within the primate order, form a ________ clade.

The coccyx bone of humans and the true tail of most primates are examples of

How might brain shape reveal clues about hominin history?

You are studying how tools have evolved through cultural evolution. You find several instances where groups with very different technologies meet and there is a transfer of technology from one group to the other. This is analogous to what process in biological evolution?

Where are the oldest hominin fossils found?

What types of dental force are needed to eat seeds and nuts?

The end of the Miocene brought what to Africa?

For the most part, early human populations

Bottleneck and founder effects are situations that make what condition more likely to affect allele frequencies in a population?

What traits of Homo erectus are inferred adaptations for running?

Describe two hypotheses that scientists are exploring about the selective pressures that may have given rise to bipedality in the human lineage.

With which species were Levallois tools first found?

What have studies on the evolution of the hominin brain revealed?

What does language allow for in humans that is difficult for other populations?

What is a hominin?

The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution

From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: a Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas

What the Rocks Say: How Geology and Paleontology Reveal the History of Life

The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past

Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals

The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection

Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes

The History in Our Genes

From Genes to Traits: the Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development

Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild

Sex: Causes and Consequences

After Conception: the Evolution of Life History and Parental Care

The Origin of Species

Macroevolution: the Long Run

Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other

Brains and Behavior

Evolutionary Medicine

Filters

Primates form a clade; great apes, deeply nested within the primate order, form a clade.