Deck 5: Human Origins

Question 1

What can the radiopotassium dating technique be applied to?

A) fossilized bone
B) stone of volcanic origin
C) organic remains
D) bones and teeth

Answer 1

stone of volcanic origin

Question 2

Until the mid-1800s, most peppered moths in Great Britain were white, while a few were dark. Why did these groups switch during the Industrial Revolution, when most of the peppered moth population evolved to have the darker coloration?

A) Pollutants covered the moths and made them appear darker.
B) Some moths were able to turn black and pass the color to their offspring.
C) The pollution created mutagens that caused a widespread mutation for darker coloration.
D) Dark moths were selected because their color was an advantage in the new environment.

Answer 2

Dark moths were selected because their color was an advantage in the new environment.

Question 3

What do we call the chemical process that preserves an organism by turning it partially or wholly into rock?

A) sedimentation
B) fossilization
C) decomposition
D) stratigraphy

Answer 3

fossilization

Question 4

Scientists believe that genetic mutations are:

A) always harmful.
B) always more beneficial than previous forms of the standard DNA code.
C) the only source of new genetic material in a population.
D) produced only when there is an environmental toxin.

Question 5

In order for an organism to become a fossil, it:

A) must be buried in limestone caves.
B) needs to be totally skeletonized by scavengers.
C) has to be buried in oxygen-free sediment.
D) needs to be exposed to erosion.

Question 6

Genetic studies of mtDNA indicate that:

A) all living humans have a common matrilineal ancestor.
B) there is less genetic variation in African populations.
C) early hominids had a very high incidence of disease.
D) there is more genetic variation farther from Africa.

Question 7

What is evolution?

A) Evolution is a change in physical appearance that develops when a species migrates to new climates.
B) Evolution describes how human populations physically change in response to environmental changes and technological advances.
C) Evolution is any type of genetic mutation that appears in a species and can be passed down to the next generation.
D) Evolution describes how biological adaptations in organisms occur as a response to environmental changes, developing over generations.

Question 8

While a great many of the fossils of our earliest human ancestors have been found in Africa, why is it problematic to use these fossils to make concrete conclusions about our earliest origins?

A) There is unequal representation of time periods and species in the fossil record.
B) Dating techniques are still too primitive to establish completely accurate results.
C) Rival researchers often draw conflicting conclusions based on their discoveries.
D) Many parts of Africa cannot be easily accessed by paleoanthropologists.

Question 9

Calculations of DNA mutation rates indicate that Native Americans migrated about ________ yBP.

A) 15,000
B) 30,000
C) 100,000
D) 150,000

Question 10

The chance discovery of the Kennewick man in 1996 opened a window to early human life in North America. This success might not have been possible, however, without researchers making comparisons of the remains to nearby plants, animals, and other parts of the remains to understand the context. This approach to dating is called ________.

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

Question 11

Where in the body do we carry our genetic code?

A) cell bodies
B) protein chains
C) DNA
D) mutagens

Question 12

A recent attempt to undermine evolution tries to avoid religions and instead claims that hard evidence shows life is too complex to be random. What is this theory called?

A) natural selection
B) founder effect
C) intelligent design
D) the "blueprint of life"

Question 13

What is the term used to describe scientists who study fossil remains of our early human ancestors?

A) paleogeneticists
B) archaeologists
C) paleoanthropologists
D) historians

Question 14

Stratigraphy is a technique of relative dating, and it depends on ________.

A) assumptions that what is deeper is older
B) the extent of site disturbance
C) geographic location of specimens
D) specimen condition

Question 15

Which of the following can be dated using radiocarbon dating methods?

A) stone tools from Olduvai Gorge
B) stone of volcanic origin
C) hair preserved in peat bogs
D) Australopithecus afarensis mitochondrial DNA

Question 16

At about what date do DNA studies place the migration of humans out of Africa?

A) 780,000 yBP
B) 1.2 million yBP
C) 250,000 yBP
D) 100,000 yBP

Question 17

What do we call the Protestant Christian belief that God created the Earth between 6,000 and 10,000 yBP?

A) natural selection
B) creationism
C) evolutionary theory
D) biblical evolutionary theory

Question 18

What is the term for the natural history of Earth and the universe, including the span of human existence?

A) evolution
B) multiregional replacement thesis
C) natural selection
D) deep time

Question 19

What kind of dating technique gives a specific date for a fossil?

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

Question 20

What environmental agents increase the frequency of mutations?

A) toxic chemicals
B) natural selection
C) mutagens
D) hereditary factors

Question 21

What is one of the unintended side effects of the Lascaux cave paintings discovery?

A) Media interest in the caves has overshadowed the earlier art found in Africa.
B) The caves reveal clear evidence of early hominid cannibalism.
C) The spectacular artwork has confirmed the innate mental superiority of Homo erectus.
D) The discovery that the art was actually created by Neandertals.

Question 22

When did modern Homo sapiens first enter Australia?

A) 400,000 yBP
B) 40,000 yBP
C) 24,000 yBP
D) 14,000 yBP

Question 23

The sickle cell gene is found in high frequency in certain African countries along the equator because:

A) the mutation increases the body's ability to regulate heat.
B) the gene increases the body's ability to carry oxygen.
C) the gene provides certain advantages in that environment.
D) it provides protection against the harmful effect of ultraviolet radiation.

Question 24

Among which species of early hominids do we begin to note the increasing role of culture, complex social structures, increased brain size, and complex mental activities?

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

Question 25

What makes the Acheulian stone tools associated with Homo erectus different than those made by earlier hominids?

A) The stone used was stronger.
B) Acheulian tools all had decorative markings.
C) These tools were of a greater variety and accomplished a wider range of tasks.
D) These tools were used in the act of war.

Question 26

According to the "out of Africa" theory, what led to the disappearance of Neandertals?

A) Modern Homo sapiens evolved first in Africa and then migrated to other areas, eventually replacing and assimilating with Neandertals.
B) Neandertals were unable to interbreed with Homo erectus after migrating out of Africa.
C) Modern Homo sapiens directly evolved from Neandertals once the Neandertals left Africa.
D) Modern Homo sapiens displaced Homo erectus in Africa, who in turn displaced Neandertals in Europe.

Question 27

Why are we unlikely to find agriculture associated with Neandertal material culture?

A) Agricultural techniques were too sophisticated for Neandertals.
B) Agriculture developed well after the disappearance of Neandertals.
C) Neandertals did not possess the ability to make the needed tools.
D) Neandertals lived in a region that could not support agriculture.

Question 28

Genetic drift is significant in evolution because it can:

A) provide a nonrandom change in the gene pool.
B) have a large effect in a large population.
C) make an isolated group genetically distinct.
D) act as an accumulation of mutations.

Question 29

What significant fossil discoveries have emerged from the site at Middle Awash River valley in Ethiopia?

A) fossils of both archaic and modern human ancestors
B) Neandertals
C) a primitive species dubbed "the Hobbit"
D) the skeletal remains of the Turkana Boy

Question 30

The term Oldowan refers to:

A) the earliest stone tools found in Africa.
B) archaic humans from Olduvai Gorge.
C) early stone tools developed by Neandertals.
D) early stone tools developed by modern Homo sapiens.

Question 31

Around 15,000 yBP, where had modern Homo sapiens migrated to from Asia?

A) Europe
B) North and South America
C) Australia
D) Indonesia

Question 32

Which of the following was a contemporary hominid with Australopithecus, but had significantly increased cranial capacity?

A) Homo erectus
B) Homo habilis
C) Australopithecus anamensis
D) Ardipithecus ramidus

Question 33

What do the discoveries in the Awash River valley suggest about the environment where bipedalism appeared in early hominids?

A) Early hominids lived exclusively on the African savanna.
B) Early hominids lived exclusively in wooded regions.
C) Early hominids lived only in wooded regions along lakes.
D) Early hominids may have lived in wooded regions along lakes, as well as on the savanna.

Question 34

Gene flow is the:

A) production of new genes.
B) random loss of genes in a population.
C) process that signals differential reproduction success.
D) movement of genes between populations.

Question 35

Genetic adaptation is distinct because it:

A) only occurs at the population level.
B) only occurs at the individual level.
C) is cumulative.
D) only applies to changes in skin color in populations as they moved away from the equator.

Question 36

When a small part of a population with a unique phenotypical characteristic migrates to a new location and begins to reproduce separately as a new, distinct group, what is this process called?

A) gene flow
B) founder effect
C) gene migration
D) genetic mutation

Question 37

What is one possible explanation offered by some scholars to explain the "Hobbit" of Flores Island, Indonesia?

A) The island climate evolved a unique species of human in a very short period of time.
B) This is a case of mixed-species breeding.
C) The "Hobbit" is actually not a human fossil at all.
D) This is a case of microcephaly.

Question 38

The individual most likely to demonstrate a developmental adaptation is someone who

A) has spent his or her adult life in a high-altitude environment.
B) has temporarily moved to a high-altitude environment as an adult, but returns to low altitude for a short time.
C) has grown up in a high-altitude environment.
D) was born in a low-altitude environment, but whose parents grew up in a high-altitude environment.

Question 39

Although DNA provides a blueprint for an individual's growth, other environmental factors such as nutrition and disease can impact the human life cycle. This describes what kind of adaptation?

A) genetic
B) developmental
C) acclimatized
D) cultural

Question 40

Which of the following is a list of our human ancestors in chronological order (as we now understand them), from oldest to youngest?

A) Australopithecus afarensis, Ardipithecus ramidus, Homo erectus, Homo habilis, Homo sapiens
B) Ardipithecus ramidus, Australopithecus afarensis, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens
C) Homo sapiens, Homo erectus, Homo habilis, Australopithecus afarensis, Ardipithecus ramidus
D) Ardipithecus ramidus, Australopithecus afarensis, Homo erectus, Homo habilis, Homo sapiens

Question 41

The role of ultraviolet light is significant in human evolution because:

A) too little of this light can lead to overproduction of Vitamin D.
B) too much of this light can destroy folic acid, needed for healthy fetal development.
C) too much of this light can lead to cancer in old age.
D) too much of this light can impede the ability of the body to use vitamin C.

Question 42

Which of the following emphasizes the deep underlying connection among all humans today?

A) gene flow between populations
B) differing amounts of melanin between populations
C) acclimatization in various environments
D) differing cultural adaptations between populations

Question 43

Why are dark-skinned people found in equatorial regions?

A) Dark skin protects against heat.
B) Those populations are the oldest evolved groups.
C) Dark skin is a genetic adaptation to ultraviolet radiation.
D) Dark skin confers resistance to malaria.

Question 44

What is one type of cultural adaptation to ultraviolet radiation?

A) vitamin D fortified milk
B) tanning
C) sweating
D) increased heart rate

Question 45

Explain how the principle of natural selection has been a contributor to the theory of evolution. Discuss examples where natural selection has occurred in a population.

Question 46

Anthropologists have observed that chimpanzees can use stone tools to crack nuts, and that they teach this useful skill to their offspring. This is significant because chimpanzees:

A) are actively evolving.
B) are capable of social learning.
C) are not very intelligent primates.
D) may evolve to pose a threat to human life.

Question 47

According to the text, because of changes in the environment due to global warming, human beings will:

A) undergo cultural adaptions, but not genetic ones.
B) encounter many mutagens created by global warming.
C) undergo many adaptions, including genetic ones.
D) become extinct.

Question 48

What do we call a group of related organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile, viable offspring?

A) founding population
B) subspecies
C) species
D) kinship group

Question 49

Discuss the case of the peppered moth in England. Why did this species change its outward appearance in a short period of time? What does this suggest about evolution?

Question 50

Why did modern Homo sapiens settle in the Pacific Islands approximately 40,000 yBP?

A) There was stress on food resources in Africa.
B) A sudden increase in social organization made this possible.
C) Uncontrolled population growth in Africa put pressure on early humans.
D) The climate cooled and sea levels lowered, providing more land.

Question 51

If the replacement theory is correct, then what should we expect to find out about early hominids?

A) Both archaic and modern humans should overlap in time in most locations.
B) Individuals within a population would have certain characteristics that would enable them to survive.
C) There would be high genetic variation farther away from Africa.
D) Archaic and modern humans should not overlap in time in any locations.

Question 52

Describe the influence of biblical teachings on theories about the origins of life. Using examples to make your points, explain how evolutionary theory and religion became a lightning rod for the battle over the teaching of evolution in the education system.

Question 53

People from the high-altitude highlands of South America develop larger lung capacity in order to process more oxygen. Why does this same lung capacity not reverse if these individuals move to a lower altitude?

A) Altitude acclimatization is permanent.
B) Advantageous phenotypic traits are genetically determined.
C) This trait is a variation that results from only genetic factors.
D) This is a permanent developmental adaptation.

Question 54

What are the differences between absolute dating techniques and relative dating techniques?

Question 55

Which of the following absorbs ultraviolet radiation as a natural sunscreen?

A) melanocyctes
B) melanin
C) folic acid
D) vitamin D

Question 56

Without gene mutations there would be no evolution. Explain why this is the case.

Question 57

Explain the process of fossilization. Include some of the critical factors necessary for fossilization of an organism to be successful. Why are fossils rare?

Question 58

The complex innovations that allow humans to more effectively respond to the surrounding environment are called ________ adaptations.

A) developmental
B) physiological
C) genetic
D) cultural

Question 59

What is significant about the fetal origins hypothesis?

A) Prenatal stress has a dramatic impact on health.
B) Prenatal health is determined by paternal health.
C) All early human evolution can be understood through the analysis of the fetus.
D) Prenatal gene structures evolved from very primitive hominids.

Question 60

The term acclimatization refers to:

A) the ability to make temporary physiological changes in response to the environment.
B) the sum of all genetic changes seen in a population.
C) any permanent changes seen in the human body in response to the immediate environment.
D) the inability to adapt to the environment.

Question 61

Describe the four types of adaptation that have contributed to human survivability.

Question 62

Identify where Neandertals are located in the human evolutionary chain and how they are similar physically to modern Homo sapiens. What was the fate of Neandertals?

Question 63

Discuss the current thinking regarding the fate of the Neandertals.

Question 64

Discuss the reasons why the appearance of Homo erectus signaled a major change in the evolution of humans.

Question 65

What are the five categories in which paleoanthropologists have grouped our immediate ancestors? Briefly define each.

Question 66

Discuss the impact of Jane Goodall's work with chimpanzees on current evolutionary thinking. How do chimpanzees serve as a useful window into early hominid behavior?

Question 67

How does marriage interact with human evolution and gene flow?

Question 68

Discuss sickle cell anemia as an example of natural selection at work in the human population.

Question 69

Describe the relationship between solar radiation, vitamin D, and skin color as examples of adaptation and natural selection.