Question 1

The authors of the text argue that with the emergence of the genus Homo there began to develop a feedback loop between biological characteristics and cultural innovations in the human line.Discuss this and provide evidence.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The authors of the text argue that...

Question 2

What was the Piltdown Man controversy? Using this evidence,discuss the popular view and importance of the science of evolution in society then and now.Why is this scientific question sometimes considered differently than other areas of inquiry?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was the Piltdown Man controversy? Using...

Question 3

During which epoch did anthropoid fossils diversify and expand their range,and prosimian fossil forms became far less prominent?

Accepted Answer

A) Oligocene 
B) Eocene 
C) Miocene 
D) Pliocene 
E) Pleistocene

Question 4

Chimpanzees and humans use their ankles in much the same way while climbing.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The first specimen of A.robustus was discovered by Mary Leakey in 1894.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Distinguish between "lumpers" and "splitters."

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The answer of Distinguish between "lumpers" and "splitters."...

Question 7

The position of the human big toe is described as being:

Accepted Answer

A) adducted. 
B) adduced. 
C) abducted. 
D) opposable. 
E) prehensiled.

Question 8

This primate was a diurnal quadruped with a mixture of money and ape features: its lower molars had five cusps like an ape;its skull had forward-facing eye sockets protected by a bony wall;an endocast of the cranium reveals that it had a visual cortex larger than that found in Prosimians,but the brain was smaller than that of more recent anthropoids;and it had marked sexual dimorphism and was no bigger than a modern house cat.It is a:

Accepted Answer

A) Dryopithecus. 
B) Ardipithecus. 
C) Homo habilis. 
D) Aegyptopithecus. 
E) Australopithecus afarensis.

Question 9

Bipedalism is "written on our bodies." What does this statement mean? Provide evidence for your answer and then discuss the importance of bipedalism in the evolution of the human species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bipedalism is "written on our bodies." What...

Question 10

Human birth is always considered extremely difficult because of paleoanthropological evidence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The fossil Lucy was better adapted to tree climbing than more recent human ancestors.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Why were scientists initially biased against accepting Australopithecus africanus as a hominin?

Accepted Answer

A) It was not bipedal. 
B) It did not have a large brain. 
C) It was not found associated with tools. 
D) It was found in Africa. 
E) It was too young.

Question 13

What is the relationship between climate shifts and the emergence of the earliest primates? Present each of the epochs (Paleocene,Eocene,Oligocene,and Miocene),and explain the evolution of the primates from a reptilian beginning to the emergence of the first apes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the relationship between climate shifts...

Question 14

Who were Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey,and what were their contributions to our understanding of human evolution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Who were Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey,and...

Question 15

How is the understanding of the human birth process in the U.S.potentially a culture-bound perspective?

Accepted Answer

A) Human birth is a highly cultural event and is not seen as inherently difficult and risky in all cultures. 
B) The human birth process is natural and occurs the same worldwide. 
C) The cultural understanding of birth in the U.S.is not as well understood as it in in European countries. 
D) In the U.S. ,we have a good understanding of the biology of birth but no cultural context in which the make sense of it. 
E) Different ethnic groups have differently sized brains,so birth varies across cultures.

Question 16

Which species of australopithecines was known as the "gracile" species?

Accepted Answer

A) A.sediba 
B) A.africanus 
C) A.anamensis 
D) A.boisei 
E) A.afarensis

Question 17

What is the law of competitive exclusion,and what role did it play in early human evolution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the law of competitive exclusion,and...

Question 18

Which of the following did not contribute to the development of bipedalism among Miocene apes?

Accepted Answer

A) The ability to increase the food supply by getting more seeds,leaves,and pods from spiny thorn bushes 
B) Improved ability to carry offspring 
C) Improved ability to spot predators on the savannah 
D) Improved ability to carry food from the savannah to the safety of the trees 
E) Improved ability to run faster

Question 19

Bipedalism is the most important characteristic of the early human species.Compare and contrast bipedalism and quadrupedalism anatomically and environmentally.What specific affordances did bipedalism provide to humans that allowed them to emerge and radiate so dominantly over the world?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bipedalism is the most important characteristic of...

Question 20

Why was the discovery of Lucy such a significant scientific event?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why was the discovery of Lucy such...

Exam 6: From First Primates to First Bipeds

The authors of the text argue that with the emergence of the genus Homo there began to develop a feedback loop between biological characteristics and cultural innovations in the human line.Discuss this and provide evidence.

What was the Piltdown Man controversy? Using this evidence,discuss the popular view and importance of the science of evolution in society then and now.Why is this scientific question sometimes considered differently than other areas of inquiry?

During which epoch did anthropoid fossils diversify and expand their range,and prosimian fossil forms became far less prominent?

Chimpanzees and humans use their ankles in much the same way while climbing.

The first specimen of A.robustus was discovered by Mary Leakey in 1894.

Distinguish between "lumpers" and "splitters."

The position of the human big toe is described as being:

Bipedalism is "written on our bodies." What does this statement mean? Provide evidence for your answer and then discuss the importance of bipedalism in the evolution of the human species.

Human birth is always considered extremely difficult because of paleoanthropological evidence.

The fossil Lucy was better adapted to tree climbing than more recent human ancestors.

Why were scientists initially biased against accepting Australopithecus africanus as a hominin?

What is the relationship between climate shifts and the emergence of the earliest primates? Present each of the epochs (Paleocene,Eocene,Oligocene,and Miocene),and explain the evolution of the primates from a reptilian beginning to the emergence of the first apes.

Who were Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey,and what were their contributions to our understanding of human evolution?

How is the understanding of the human birth process in the U.S.potentially a culture-bound perspective?

Which species of australopithecines was known as the "gracile" species?

What is the law of competitive exclusion,and what role did it play in early human evolution?

Which of the following did not contribute to the development of bipedalism among Miocene apes?

Bipedalism is the most important characteristic of the early human species.Compare and contrast bipedalism and quadrupedalism anatomically and environmentally.What specific affordances did bipedalism provide to humans that allowed them to emerge and radiate so dominantly over the world?

Why was the discovery of Lucy such a significant scientific event?