Deck 11: The Origins and Evolution of Early Homo

Question 1

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 these choices is correct.

Answer 1

a more frequent use of tools for the digging and processing of roots and tubers.

Question 2

The original name for Asian Homo erectus was

A) Australopithecus.
B) Pithecanthropus.
C) Paranthropus.
D) Homo rudolfensis.

Answer 2

Pithecanthropus.

Question 3

The ancestor of Homo habilis is

A) likely to be Australopithecus garhi, according to Tim White's analysis.
B) likely to be Paranthropus, since both H.habilis and Paranthropus have a large sagittal crest.
C) likely to be Pithecanthropus erectus, since both evolved in Asia.
D) known to be Homo rudolfensis.

Answer 3

likely to be Australopithecus garhi, according to Tim White's analysis.

Question 4

Homo habilis had traits that include

A) long, modern legs.
B) short legs.
C) a striding gait.
D) quadrupedalism.

Question 5

Eugène Dubois was one of the first researchers in the nineteenth century who used the scientific method to test the hypothesis of early human ancestors in Asia with

A) fossil evidence.
B) comparative anatomy.
C) genetics.
D) archaeological remains.

Question 6

Anatomical evidence from fossilized hand bones suggests that the precision grip needed to make and use stone tools was present

A) only in Homo erectus.
B) only in Homo habilis.
C) in Homo habilis and some australopithecines.
D) in all australopithecine and Homo species.

Question 7

Dubois's Pithecanthropus erectus finds consisted of

A) only skull fragments, so it was not known if Pithecanthropus erectus was bipedal.
B) only leg and other body fragments, so it was not known if Pithecanthropus erectus had a human-size brain.
C) a molar, a partial skull, and a femur, which indicated that Pithecanthropus erectus walked only partially upright, but had a human-size brain.
D) a molar, a partial skull, and a femur, which indicated that Pithecanthropus erectus walked much like a modern human but had a brain intermediate in size between a modern human and a typical nonhuman ape.

Question 8

Homo rudolfensis and Homo habilis are

A) both forms of Homo erectus.
B) often considered the same species and immediately ancestral to Homo sapiens.
C) often combined into one species, which is called Homo habilis.
D) often combined into one species, which is called Australopithecus robustus.

Question 9

The discoverer of Pithecanthropus erectus was

A) Eugène Dubois.
B) Tim White.
C) Behane Asfaw.
D) Yohannes Haile-Selassie.

Question 10

During the period 2.5-1.0 mya

A) several hominins, including but not limited to Homo erectus, Homo habilis, and various Australopithecine species, were alive at overlapping time periods, just as earlier periods saw several species of Australopithecine alive at once.
B) the great diversity of hominins known from earlier periods was quickly trimmed down so only Homo erectus existed, alone, for most of that time.
C) there were two species of early hominin, Homo habilis living in Africa and Homo erectus living in Asia.
D) there was one widespread species of hominin, Homo erectus, with so much variation that early anthropologists thought there were several species existing side by side.

Question 11

The first evidence of modern human traits, including increasing brain size and dependence on material culture, shows up in Homo

A) erectus.
B) sapiens.
C) neanderthalensis.
D) habilis.

Question 12

The earliest fossil evidence for Homo erectus in western Europe dates from ________ mya, from ________.

A) 1.6; Sima de los Huesos
B) 0.3; France
C) 1.6; Dmanisi, Georgia
D) 1.2; Sima del Elefante

Question 13

Compared to australopithecines, Homo habilis is characterized by a

A) smaller face.
B) bigger brain.
C) rounder and larger skull.
D) smaller face; bigger brain; and a rounder, larger skull.

Question 14

Ernst Haeckel, the famous German anatomist of the nineteenth century, argued that the orangutan is anatomically more similar to humans than are any of the nonhuman African apes.This led to

A) changing the species name for humans, temporarily, from Homo sapiens to Pithecanthropus sapiens.
B) the search for early human remains in the East African Rift Valley.
C) Charles Darwin's inspiration to change his theory of human origins.
D) Eugene Dubois's inspiration to search for the earliest human ancestors in Asia.

Question 15

Stone tools are more commonly found on archaeological sites thought to be associated with

A) Ardipithecus.
B) Paranthropus.
C) Australopithecus.
D) Homo habilis.

Question 16

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.

Question 17

Homo erectus walked just like a modern human, with traits like

A) long legs and opposable toes.
B) double arches and an adducted big toe.
C) long arms.
D) a foramen magnum at the back of the skull.

Question 18

The earliest members of the genus Homo have been found dating from

A) 0.5 mya-present.
B) 2.5-1.0 mya.
C) 4.0-3.0 mya.
D) None of these choices is correct.

Question 19

Some Homo erectus specimens had very large and robust bones while others were

A) small with robust bones.
B) tall with robust bones.
C) gracile.
D) small with thin bones.

Question 20

Homo habilis experienced a major shift to new environments that was characterized by

A) dietary shift.
B) tool use for obtaining and processing food.
C) big-game hunting.
D) the use of marine resources.

Question 21

The discoverer of Homo erectus was

A) Louis Leakey.
B) Richard Leakey.
C) Eugène Dubois.
D) Ernst Haeckel.

Question 22

The Homo erectus fossil from Sangiran, Java, dates to

A) 800,000 yBP.
B) 1.2-1.0 mya.
C) 1.8-1.6 mya.
D) 2.2-2.0 mya.

Question 23

What is the likely explanation for the rapid increase in body and brain size among Homo erectus?

A) an influx of genes for increased height
B) greater access to protein and improved nutrition
C) reaching for fruits higher in the trees, which increased their height over time
D) the evolution of bipedalism

Question 24

Which species became increasingly specialized to foods requiring heavy chewing?

A) Homo sapiens
B) Homo habilis
C) Homo erectus
D) Australopithecus

Question 25

The Dmanisi B fossils from the Republic of Georgia are dated to

A) 1.0 mya.
B) 800,000 yBP.
C) 1.7 mya.
D) 2.5 mya.

Question 26

Fossil evidence of cutmarks made with stone tools at early hominid sites suggests that

A) meat eating started only with the appearance of Homo erectus and stone tools.
B) big-game hunting was the most common way early hominids obtained meat.
C) meat eating started before Homo erectus but increased with more advanced technology.
D) None of these choices is correct.

Question 27

African Homo erectus cranial features include

A) thick cranial bones.
B) small browridges.
C) a rounded skull.
D) a sagittal crest.

Question 28

The Nariokotome boy discovered at Lake Turkana (Homo erectus) has modern human traits such as

A) shorter arms and longer legs than those of earlier hominids.
B) retention of an australopithecine-like body plan.
C) longer legs than later hominids.
D) a mix of arboreal and bipedal adaptations.

Question 29

Compared to earlier hominids, the increased body size in Homo erectus is likely due to

A) stone-tool use that facilitated root and tuber processing.
B) increased protein in the diet.
C) larger teeth that permitted better food processing.
D) None of these choices is correct.

Question 30

The Acheulean complex

A) emerged around 2.5 mya.
B) is used to describe simple pebble tools.
C) emerged around 1.5 mya.
D) is characteristic of Homo habilis.

Question 31

A central theme of human evolution is a(n)

A) increasing adaptive flexibility.
B) decreasing cranial capacity.
C) decreasing body size.
D) more robust jaw.

Question 32

Relative to Oldowan tools, Acheulean stone tools

A) had a narrower range of functions.
B) used fewer raw materials.
C) were characterized by fewer tool types.
D) required more learning and skill to produce.

Question 33

Homo erectus fossils date to

A) 3-1 mya.
B) 2.5-0.5 mya.
C) 1.8 mya-300,000 yBP.
D) 1.2 mya-800,000 yBP.

Question 34

Homo erectus skull morphology includes

A) a long, low, wide base.
B) thick bones.
C) large browridges.
D) a long, low, wide base; thick bones; and large browridges.

Question 35

The many stone tools, fragmentary animal bones, and teeth found at Gran Dolina, Spain, indicate that hominids there

A) processed and consumed animals including other hominids.
B) did not differ appreciably from earlier Asian Homo erectus.
C) were similar to later Homo sapiens.
D) None of these choices is correct.

Question 36

The earliest fossil evidence of Homo erectus in western Europe dates to about

A) 1.7 mya.
B) 1.2 mya.
C) 500,000 yBP.
D) 800,000 yBP.

Question 37

Homo erectus differed from earlier hominids in having traits such as

A) a smaller brain.
B) larger teeth.
C) a bigger sagittal keel.
D) a larger brain.

Question 38

Based on height calculations of Homo erectus fossils, biological anthropologists estimate that their average height was

A) more than 70% taller than Homo habilis.
B) similar to that of australopithecines.
C) tall, with males about five feet nine inches and females about five feet three inches.
D) three feet.

Question 39

Gran Dolina adult hominids were similar to later Homo sapiens in their

A) ability to produce art.
B) large cranial capacity.
C) wide nasal apertures.
D) None of these choices is correct.

Question 40

Homo erectus's cranial capacity

A) is always less than 1,000 cc.
B) is always more than 800 cc.
C) ranges from 650 cc to 1,200 cc.
D) ranges from 900 cc to 1,200 cc.

Question 41

What does the recent discovery of a ca.700,000 yBP hominin at Mata Menge, Indonesia, tell us?

A) The pattern of hominin evolution is firmly established with little anatomical variation in the Middle Pleistocene.
B) The later Flores fossils must have evolved from the new, large-bodied Mata Menge hominin.
C) The "Island theory" to explain reduction in body size of many island-dwelling mammals is now disproven.
D) In predicting future research on both the early and later end of the evolution of Homo, we should expect the unexpected.

Question 42

The Kenyan site of Olorgesailie is famous for

A) a nearly complete Homo erectus skeleton.
B) a concentration with thousands of hand axes, other tools, and butchered animal bones.
C) being the only place where robust australopithecines are found.
D) being the oldest H.habilis bearing site.

Question 43

Homo erectus migrated

A) first to Europe, then across Asia, reaching southeast Asia last.
B) from Asia to Europe, then Africa.
C) from Asia to Africa, then Europe.
D) from Africa to western Asia, then southeast Asia, and later to east Asia and Europe.

Question 44

What do the marks found by anthropologist Tim White on the Bodo cranium indicate?

A) the earliest example of carnivore tooth marks on a hominin fossil
B) a pathology associated with poor diet, which may have contributed to this individual's death
C) the fabrication of the fossil as a hoax, demonstrating that science is ultimately self-correcting
D) the removal of flesh from the skull by tool-using hominids, either as a ritual or as some form of cannibalism

Question 45

Discuss the fossil evidence of Homo habilis and describe the anatomical and behavioral traits of Homo habilis that introduce the evolution of Homo sapiens.

Question 46

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 its ancestors?

Question 47

Homo erectus's high degree of adaptive success is evidenced by its

A) increased reliance on material culture.
B) apparent increased intelligence.
C) reliance on unchanging environments.
D) increased reliance on material culture and apparent increased intelligence.

Question 48

Bodo and Daka hominins are ________; Dmanisi is ________.

A) Asian; African
B) European; African
C) African; Asian
D) African; European

Question 49

Detailed environmental reconstructions, based on fossil animal bones, of the Daka Member of Ethiopia's Middle Awash deposits

A) provide a detailed picture of the habitat in which australopithicines and Homo habilis coexisted about 2.5 mya.
B) provide a detailed picture of the habitat in which Homo erectus lived about 1 mya.
C) demonstrate that Asian Homo erectus lived in a rain forest.
D) prove that in certain areas of Africa, there were no large mammals, only "microfauna" consisting of mice and similar creatures.

Question 50

Homo naledi, recently discovered in South Africa, has a sagittal keel, large browridge, thick cranial bones, and reduced tooth size.The brain size is small, close to 500 cc.Where might this new species fit in the larger pattern of human evolution in Africa?

A) H.naledi seems most likely a member of the genus Homo; however, its small brain size is regarded as a primitive hominin trait more reminiscent of the australopithecines.
B) H.naledi sits comfortably at the juncture of Australopithecus and early Homo, since all of its traits seem intermediate between the two.
C) H.naledi has several traits that do not fit with the genus Homo, including its large browridge and thick cranial bones; however, it must be Homo because it is securely dated to 1 mya.
D) H.naledi demonstrates the exact mix of traits expected for a new Homo fossil of this time period and this region.

Question 51

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.

Question 52

Contrast the cranial and dental anatomy and adaptation of Australopithecus robustus with African Homo erectus.

Question 53

Homo erectus remains from China

A) are nearly nonexistent; it is possible that H.erectus never lived there.
B) are very important and fairly abundant, but the largest single collection of Chinese H.erectus was lost to science in World War II.
C) are numerous and among the oldest, suggesting that H.erectus evolved there.
D) all date to after 100,000 years ago.

Question 54

What are the differences between Homo habilis and Homo erectus?

A) Homo habilis shows a reduction in the size of the face relative to the brain case.
B) Homo erectus shows a reduction in the size of the face relative to the brain case.
C) Homo habilis generally has a greater brain capacity than Homo erectus.
D) Homo erectus generally has a smaller brain capacity than Homo habilis.

Question 55

The controlled use of fire by hominids

A) decreased the amount of food energy available in the hominid diet.
B) has been shown to contribute little to the digestive process of hominids.
C) limited the expansion of hominids into certain environments, such as dry grasslands.
D) contributed to geographical expansion and food production techniques in positive ways.

Question 56

The first hominid to migrate beyond Africa was

A) Australopithecus.
B) Homo habilis.
C) Homo erectus.
D) Homo neanderthalensis.

Question 57

Greater body size and facial gracility documented in Homo erectus are likely related to

A) changes in tool technology and increasing access to meat and other proteins.
B) the natural continuation of previous trends documented in hominid fossils, similar to great brain size.
C) the global climate, as these trends are characteristic of an increasingly forested environment.
D) None of these choices is correct.

Question 58

The "cooking hypothesis" suggests that Homo erectus

A) significantly increased the available food and nutrition and decreased tooth size after learning to control fire.
B) started to use fire to keep animals away from their camps, thus allowing them to survive the long African nights.
C) began to cannibalize (and cook) other hominins, thus decreasing competition and increasing food availability at the same time.
D) took much longer to evolve than other hominins because cooking made life much easier and more survivable for them.