Question 1

Stratigraphic correlation is

Accepted Answer

A)  matching strata by chemical composition and color from several sites across distances. 
B)  correlating stratigraphic markers in one location. 
C)  matching stratigraphy from known sites only. 
D)  dating through the use of a chronometric method. 
A)  matching strata by chemical composition and color from several sites across distances. 
B)  correlating stratigraphic markers in one location. 
C)  matching stratigraphy from known sites only. 
D)  dating through the use of a chronometric method.

Question 2

During the Holocene, artifacts like ________ began to appear.

Accepted Answer

A)  bones and teeth 
B)  ceramics 
C)  shells 
D)  wooden objects 
A)  bones and teeth 
B)  ceramics 
C)  shells 
D)  wooden objects

Question 3

An index fossil, such as the Irish Elk, is

Accepted Answer

A)  the original set of fossil remains used to describe a species when it is first found. 
B)  a fossil with a strong stable isotope signature that can be used to calibrate the local vegetation cover. 
C)  the fossil remains of a species that existed during a well-established time period, to use in biostratigraphic dating. 
D)  the fossil of a species amenable to radiometric, and thus absolute, dating. 
A)  the original set of fossil remains used to describe a species when it is first found. 
B)  a fossil with a strong stable isotope signature that can be used to calibrate the local vegetation cover. 
C)  the fossil remains of a species that existed during a well-established time period, to use in biostratigraphic dating. 
D)  the fossil of a species amenable to radiometric, and thus absolute, dating.

Question 4

For dating hominin fossils that go back four million years, what dating methods might be used?

Accepted Answer

A)  electron spin resonance 
B)  thermoluminescence 
C)  amino acid method 
D)  both electron spin resonance and thermoluminescence 
A)  electron spin resonance 
B)  thermoluminescence 
C)  amino acid method 
D)  both electron spin resonance and thermoluminescence

Question 5

Crucial to creating a fossil record of a species is

Accepted Answer

A)  a living form of the fossil species. 
B)  a good representation in the fossil record. 
C)  the preservation of soft tissue such as muscle. 
D)  the lack of dating; knowing the age of the fossil introduces biases. 
A)  a living form of the fossil species. 
B)  a good representation in the fossil record. 
C)  the preservation of soft tissue such as muscle. 
D)  the lack of dating; knowing the age of the fossil introduces biases.

Question 6

Based on the molecular clock, geneticists believe the split between chimps and hominins occurred ________ mya.

Accepted Answer

A)  10-12 
B)  8-10 
C)  6-8 
D)  4-6 
A)  10-12 
B)  8-10 
C)  6-8 
D)  4-6

Question 7

Which dating method would be MOST appropriate for establishing the age of a volcanic ash layer from an early hominid site in eastern Africa?

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon 14 dating 
B)  amino acid dating 
C)  potassium-argon dating 
D)  electron spin resonance dating 
A)  carbon 14 dating 
B)  amino acid dating 
C)  potassium-argon dating 
D)  electron spin resonance dating

Question 8

Scientists can determine the type of plant consumed based on

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon 14. 
B)  radioisotopes. 
C)  index fossils. 
D)  carbon 13 and carbon 12. 
A)  carbon 14. 
B)  radioisotopes. 
C)  index fossils. 
D)  carbon 13 and carbon 12.

Question 9

How has the study of ancient primates and human ancestors changed over time, with respect to phylogeny and reconstruction of ancient habitats? Why did this change occur? Give an example of the understanding of the past that has been improved as scholarship itself evolved.

Accepted Answer

Scholars realized that the evolution of

Question 10

Experts reconstruct the appearance of early hominids during life using which method?

Accepted Answer

A)  They take molds of trace fossils of the faces of hominids who died facedown in mud. 
B)  They use computer-generated graphics that convert an organism's ancient DNA into a hologram. 
C)  Using known relationships between bone and tissue in living animals, layers of clay are built up until finally we can see the ancient face staring at us. 
D)  So-called artists' reconstructions are entirely fabricated ideas, but they serve to bring the past to life. 
A)  They take molds of trace fossils of the faces of hominids who died facedown in mud. 
B)  They use computer-generated graphics that convert an organism's ancient DNA into a hologram. 
C)  Using known relationships between bone and tissue in living animals, layers of clay are built up until finally we can see the ancient face staring at us. 
D)  So-called artists' reconstructions are entirely fabricated ideas, but they serve to bring the past to life.

Question 11

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?

Accepted Answer

A)  biostratigraphic dating 
B)  dendrochronologic dating 
C)  Steno's law of superposition 
D)  carbon 14 dating 
A)  biostratigraphic dating 
B)  dendrochronologic dating 
C)  Steno's law of superposition 
D)  carbon 14 dating

Question 12

Eras are

Accepted Answer

A)  divisions in geologic time divided into periods and epochs. 
B)  any time periods in the past. 
C)  divisions of time based on cultural standards, as in "Stone Age." 
D)  the time frames during which a certain fossil species existed. 
A)  divisions in geologic time divided into periods and epochs. 
B)  any time periods in the past. 
C)  divisions of time based on cultural standards, as in "Stone Age." 
D)  the time frames during which a certain fossil species existed.

Question 13

At a site in the American Southwest, you find only a single ceramic pot in association with an individual within a burial.You can use the pot to date the burial based on

Accepted Answer

A)  biostratigraphic dating, because there may be animal remains inside the pot. 
B)  cultural dating, since the pot must be specific to a known culture and time period. 
C)  radiopotassium dating of the material used to make the pot. 
D)  fission track dating of the pot itself. 
A)  biostratigraphic dating, because there may be animal remains inside the pot. 
B)  cultural dating, since the pot must be specific to a known culture and time period. 
C)  radiopotassium dating of the material used to make the pot. 
D)  fission track dating of the pot itself.

Question 14

In the 1600s, Nicolaus Steno proposed

Accepted Answer

A)  the principle of uniformitarianism. 
B)  taphonomy. 
C)  the law of stratigraphy. 
D)  the law of superposition. 
A)  the principle of uniformitarianism. 
B)  taphonomy. 
C)  the law of stratigraphy. 
D)  the law of superposition.

Question 15

During crucial periods of human evolution, the Pleistocene was characterized by

Accepted Answer

A)  massive glaciation, then warm interglacials. 
B)  high humidity. 
C)  aridity, then humidity. 
D)  glaciation, then aridity. 
A)  massive glaciation, then warm interglacials. 
B)  high humidity. 
C)  aridity, then humidity. 
D)  glaciation, then aridity.

Question 16

Fluorine dating is an example of what type of dating method?

Accepted Answer

A)  chronometric 
B)  nonrelative 
C)  chemical 
D)  genetic 
A)  chronometric 
B)  nonrelative 
C)  chemical 
D)  genetic

Question 17

Coinciding with the appearance of early hominins about 5-10 mya, the climate was

Accepted Answer

A)  increasingly wet and rainy. 
B)  increasingly hot and humid. 
C)  increasingly dry and seasonal. 
D)  less temperate. 
A)  increasingly wet and rainy. 
B)  increasingly hot and humid. 
C)  increasingly dry and seasonal. 
D)  less temperate.

Question 18

The three eras that make up Earth history are

Accepted Answer

A)  strata, stratigraphy, and striations. 
B)  Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene. 
C)  Early, Middle, and Upper Miocene. 
D)  Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. 
A)  strata, stratigraphy, and striations. 
B)  Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene. 
C)  Early, Middle, and Upper Miocene. 
D)  Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.

Question 19

How does Steno's law of superposition support relative and absolute dating methods?

Accepted Answer

Steno's law of superposition essentially

Question 20

A wooden tomb is discovered with a well-preserved mummy inside.Which of the following methods could be used to date the tomb MOST accurately?

Accepted Answer

A)  superposition 
B)  electron spin resonance 
C)  thermoluminescence 
D)  dendrochronology 
A)  superposition 
B)  electron spin resonance 
C)  thermoluminescence 
D)  dendrochronology

Stratigraphic correlation is

During the Holocene, artifacts like ________ began to appear.

An index fossil, such as the Irish Elk, is

For dating hominin fossils that go back four million years, what dating methods might be used?

Crucial to creating a fossil record of a species is

Based on the molecular clock, geneticists believe the split between chimps and hominins occurred ________ mya.

Which dating method would be MOST appropriate for establishing the age of a volcanic ash layer from an early hominid site in eastern Africa?

Scientists can determine the type of plant consumed based on

How has the study of ancient primates and human ancestors changed over time, with respect to phylogeny and reconstruction of ancient habitats? Why did this change occur? Give an example of the understanding of the past that has been improved as scholarship itself evolved.

Experts reconstruct the appearance of early hominids during life using which method?

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?

Eras are

At a site in the American Southwest, you find only a single ceramic pot in association with an individual within a burial.You can use the pot to date the burial based on

In the 1600s, Nicolaus Steno proposed

During crucial periods of human evolution, the Pleistocene was characterized by

Fluorine dating is an example of what type of dating method?

Coinciding with the appearance of early hominins about 5-10 mya, the climate was

The three eras that make up Earth history are

How does Steno's law of superposition support relative and absolute dating methods?

A wooden tomb is discovered with a well-preserved mummy inside.Which of the following methods could be used to date the tomb MOST accurately?

What Is Biological Anthropology

Evolution: Constructing a Fundamental Scientific Theory

Genetics: Reproducing Life and Producing Variation

Genes and Their Evolution: Population Genetics

Biology in the Present: Living People

Biology in the Present: the Other Living Primates

Primate Sociality, Social Behavior, and Culture

Primate Origins and Evolution: the First 50 Million Years

Early Hominin Origins and Evolution: The Roots of Humanity

The Origins and Evolution of Early Homo

The Origins, Evolution, and Dispersal of Modern People

The Past 10,000 Years: Agriculture, Population, Biology

Filters

Exam 8: Fossils and Their Place in Time and Nature

Stratigraphic correlation is

During the Holocene, artifacts like ________ began to appear.

An index fossil, such as the Irish Elk, is

For dating hominin fossils that go back four million years, what dating methods might be used?

Crucial to creating a fossil record of a species is

Based on the molecular clock, geneticists believe the split between chimps and hominins occurred ________ mya.

Which dating method would be MOST appropriate for establishing the age of a volcanic ash layer from an early hominid site in eastern Africa?

Scientists can determine the type of plant consumed based on

How has the study of ancient primates and human ancestors changed over time, with respect to phylogeny and reconstruction of ancient habitats? Why did this change occur? Give an example of the understanding of the past that has been improved as scholarship itself evolved.

Experts reconstruct the appearance of early hominids during life using which method?

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?

Eras are

At a site in the American Southwest, you find only a single ceramic pot in association with an individual within a burial.You can use the pot to date the burial based on

In the 1600s, Nicolaus Steno proposed

During crucial periods of human evolution, the Pleistocene was characterized by

Fluorine dating is an example of what type of dating method?

Coinciding with the appearance of early hominins about 5-10 mya, the climate was

The three eras that make up Earth history are

How does Steno's law of superposition support relative and absolute dating methods?

A wooden tomb is discovered with a well-preserved mummy inside.Which of the following methods could be used to date the tomb MOST accurately?

What Is Biological Anthropology

Evolution: Constructing a Fundamental Scientific Theory

Genetics: Reproducing Life and Producing Variation

Genes and Their Evolution: Population Genetics

Biology in the Present: Living People

Biology in the Present: the Other Living Primates

Primate Sociality, Social Behavior, and Culture

Primate Origins and Evolution: the First 50 Million Years

Early Hominin Origins and Evolution: The Roots of Humanity

The Origins and Evolution of Early Homo

The Origins, Evolution, and Dispersal of Modern People

The Past 10,000 Years: Agriculture, Population, Biology

Filters