Question 1

The half-life of radioactive potassium is

Accepted Answer

A) 60,000 years. 
B) 1.3 billion years. 
C) 5,730 years. 
D) 11,460 years.

Question 2

We can usually tell the sex of a human skeleton,because humans exhibit

Accepted Answer

A) different reproductive roles. 
B) sexual dimorphism. 
C) bisexuality. 
D) gender identities.

Question 3

Bone that has turned to stone is said to be

Accepted Answer

A) really old. 
B) stratified. 
C) petrified. 
D) extremely fragile.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a diagnostic sexually dimorphic feature of the human skull?

Accepted Answer

A) forehead slope 
B) angle of the jaw 
C) size of the mastoid processes 
D) size and shape of the nasal opening

Question 5

A grid system is often used at the excavation of a fossil site to help record

Accepted Answer

A) vertical relationships. 
B) stratigraphic sequences. 
C) relative ages. 
D) horizontal relationships.

Question 6

The horizontal locations of fossils at a site are recorded through the use of

Accepted Answer

A) a grid system. 
B) stratigraphy. 
C) radiometric dating. 
D) relative dating techniques.

Question 7

The differences in the pelvic bones of males and females are most directly related to

Accepted Answer

A) the different sizes of males and females. 
B) the differences in musculature of males and females. 
C) the differences in reproductive roles of males and females. 
D) the differences in gait and stride between males and females.

Question 8

Any dating technique that gives a specific date for a fossil is called

Accepted Answer

A) absolute. 
B) stratigraphic. 
C) relative. 
D) radiometric.

Question 9

A person,all of whose cranial sutures are completely open,is most likely

Accepted Answer

A) under 29 years old. 
B) less than a year old. 
C) over 42 years old. 
D) between 29 and 42 years old.

Question 10

The least useful method for aging skeletal remains is

Accepted Answer

A) cranial suture closure. 
B) epiphyseal union. 
C) pubic symphysis. 
D) dental eruption.

Question 11

Perhaps the best method for determining age at death of a skeleton is

Accepted Answer

A) cranial suture closure. 
B) epiphyseal union. 
C) public symphysis. 
D) dental eruption.

Question 12

The provenience of a fossil refers to its

Accepted Answer

A) ownership. 
B) location. 
C) age. 
D) species.

Question 13

The precise location of a fossil is referred to as its

Accepted Answer

A) radiometric date. 
B) stratigraphy. 
C) provenience. 
D) site.

Question 14

The best part of the skeleton for sexing human remains is the

Accepted Answer

A) pelvis. 
B) limb bones (arms and legs). 
C) skull. 
D) vertebral column.

Question 15

Potassium/argon dates early human fossils

Accepted Answer

A) by directly dating the bones. 
B) by their location relative to volcanic rock. 
C) by position in a grid system. 
D) by dating associated burnt wood remains.

Question 16

An omnivore

Accepted Answer

A) has a diet of mostly meat. 
B) has a diet of everything locally edible. 
C) has a variable diet. 
D) has a diet of mostly soft foods like fruits.

Exam 9: Studying the Human Past