Deck 26: Human Evolution

Question 1

The last known population of Neanderthals lived as recently as ____ years ago.

A) ​8,000
B) ​18,000
C) ​28,000
D) ​38,000
E) ​48,000

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Four of the following features are important evolutionary advancements in the evolution of the tree-dwelling primates. Which one is the exception?​

A) ​grasping hands and feet
B) ​depth perception
C) ​well-developed sense of smell
D) ​the ability to see in 3D
E) ​a large brain relative to body size

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The primate-like mammals first arose about ____ million years ago.

A) ​95
B) ​85
C) ​55
D) ​25
E) ​15

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The hominin evolutionary line diverged from that leading to the great apes about ____ million years ago.

A) ​1.5
B) ​2
C) ​3
D) ​7
E) ​13

Question 5

The great adaptive radiation of hominoids in the Miocene is attributable to ____.

A) ​the proliferation of complex forests
B) ​an extended heating and drying trend
C) ​the advent of bipedalism
D) ​the evolution of a large brain
E) ​changes in tooth structure

Question 6

Four of the following are features of new world monkeys. Which one is the exception?

A) ​flat face
B) ​no opposable thumb
C) ​widely spaced nostrils
D) ​prehensile tail
E) ​wet nose

Question 7

Four of the following are modern apes. Which is not a modern ape?​

A) ​gibbon
B) new world monkey​
C) ​chimpanzee
D) ​gorilla
E) ​orangutan

Question 8

Compared to modern humans, Neanderthals were ____.

A) ​skinnier
B) ​shorter
C) ​more numerous
D) ​more widely dispersed
E) ​small brained

Question 9

Australopiths lived from about 4 million to ____ years ago.

A) ​600,000
B) ​1.2 million
C) ​1.8 million
D) ​2.4 million
E) ​3 million

Question 10

Hominins evolved when the climate was ____.

A) ​wet and hotter
B) ​wet and cooler
C) ​dry and hotter
D) ​dry and cooler
E) ​similar to today

Question 11

Four of the following are typical features of anthropoids. Which one is the exception?​

A) ​diurnal
B) ​good eyesight
C) ​color vision
D) ​carnivorous
E) ​dry nose

Question 12

The most humanlike australopith discovered so far is ____.

A) ​Australopithecus afarensis
B) ​Australopithecus africanus
C) ​Australopithecus ramidus
D) ​Australopithecus sediba
E) ​Australopithecus kadabba

Question 13

Genetic testing has revealed that mating between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalenis likely took place in ____.

A) ​France
B) ​China
C) ​Papua New Guinea
D) ​England
E) the ​Middle East

Question 14

Four of the following statements about Neanderthals are true. Which statement is false?

A) ​Neanderthals diverged from modern humans around 500,000 years ago.
B) ​Neanderthals lived in Europe and the Near East.
C) ​Neanderthals are direct ancestors of Homo sapiens.
D) ​Neanderthal brains may have been larger than those of modern humans.
E) ​Neanderthals have no modern descendants.

Question 15

The conclusion that early hominins were bipedal is based in part on examination of four of the following. Which one is the exception?​

A) ​their S-shaped backbone
B) ​the position of the opening for the spinal cord in the skull
C) ​footprints
D) ​their jaw shape
E) ​length of the femur

Question 16

The earliest hominin fossils have been found in ____.

A) ​Africa
B) ​Asia
C) ​Australia
D) ​the South Pacific
E) ​Europe

Question 17

Four of the following are gorilla features. Which one is the exception?​

A) ​spinal cord attached at rear of skull
B) ​C-shaped spine
C) ​legs longer than arms
D) ​flat foot
E) ​opposable big toe

Question 18

The scientific study of prehistoric humans and their relatives is most accurately called ____.

A) ​paleoanthropology
B) ​paleobiology
C) ​paleontology
D) ​paleoecology
E) ​paleopsychology

Question 19

The last known population of Homo neanderthalensis was found in ____.

A) ​China
B) ​Germany
C) ​France
D) ​Gibraltar
E) ​Libya

Question 20

Four of the following are features of humans that differentiate us from apes? Which one is the exception?

A) ​bipedalism
B) ​large canine teeth
C) ​larger brain
D) ​little body hair
E) ​precision grip

Question 21

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
anthropoids

Question 22

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
australopith

Question 23

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
hominids

Question 24

Smaller teeth and jaws, presence of a chin, thin facial bones, and rounder, higher skull would be a partial description of ____.

A) ​Australopithecus robustus gher
B) ​Australopithecus boisei
C) ​Homo habilis
D) ​Homo erectus
E) ​Homo sapiens

Question 25

Four of the following are advantages that led to an evolutionary shift towards bipedalism. Which one is the exception?

A) ​It allows for more efficient movement across open ground.
B) ​It made upright walking more energy efficient.
C) ​It keeps the body cooler
D) ​It allows the organism to reach higher food.
E) ​It is easier to scan the horizon for predators.

Question 26

Which of the following is a hominin?​

A) ​chimpanzee
B) ​Australopithecus
C) ​baboon
D) ​bonobo
E) ​gorilla

Question 27

Even though the phylogenetic lineages for hominins are not definitive, four of the following statements describe possibilities. Which is NOT a possibility?

A) ​Homo preceded Australopithecus.
B) ​Homo sapiens is the most recent.
C) ​Australopithecus is probably more ancient than Homo.
D) ​Homo erectus preceded Homo sapiens.
E) Chimpanzees and bonobos are the closest living relatives to modern humans.

Question 28

Four of the following statements about fossils found on the island of Flores are true. Which one is the exception?​

A) ​They are shorter than modern humans.
B) ​They have very small brains.
C) ​They are 200,000 years old.
D) ​They have a heavy brow ridge.
E) ​They are small.

Question 29

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
primates

Question 30

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
hominins

Question 31

____ is/are considered to be the ancestor to both Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.

A) ​Homo habilis
B) ​Paranthropus loisei
C) ​Homo floresiensis
D) ​Denisovians
E) ​Homo erectus

Question 32

The earliest humans primarily used tools to ____.

A) ​assist in locomotion
B) ​provide protection
C) ​facilitate the processing of food
D) ​ward off predators
E) ​construct shelters

Question 33

Fossil footprints in Tanzania document the passage of a bipedal species ____ million years ago.

A) ​2.4
B) ​3.0
C) ​3.6
D) ​4.2
E) ​4.8

Question 34

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
Australopithecus

Question 35

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
Miocene

Question 36

The primate fossil named Lucy was ____.

A) a Neanderthal
B) ​an australopith
C) ​a Denisovan
D) ​a prosimian
E) a modern human

Question 37

Four of the following statements about Denisovians are true. Which statement is false?​

A) ​They are most closely related to Homo erectus.
B) ​The first fossils were found in Siberia.
C) ​Fossils attributed to this group have been found in Spain.
D) ​The first fossil to be found was a pinky finger.
E) ​They may be at least 400,000 years old.

Question 38

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
Neanderthals

Question 39

Which species is considered to be the most ancient?​

A) ​Homo erectus
B) ​Australopithecus afarensis
C) ​Australopithecus sediba
D) ​Homo sapiens
E) ​Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Question 40

Why might Neanderthals have been more affected by changes in food sources that H. Sapiens?

A) ​Neanderthals were primarily meat eaters.
B) ​Neanderthals had no ability to store food.
C) ​Neanderthals had no tools with which to process food.
D) ​Neanderthals could digest a limited number of proteins.
E) ​Neanderthals required a greater number of essential amino acids.

Question 41

​Select the best choice for the following statements in reference to the four hominids listed below.
a.​Homo habilis
b.​Homo erectus
c.​Homo sapiens
d.​Homo neanderthalensis
The Neanderthals belong to this species.

Question 42

What skeletal features differentiate modern humans from apes, and what common purpose do all these differences serve?

Question 43

​Select the best choice for the following statements in reference to the four hominids listed below.
a.​Homo habilis
b.​Homo erectus
c.​Homo sapiens
d.​Homo neanderthalensis
The only surviving Homo species.

Question 44

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
Neanderthals

Question 45

What cultural trait is unique to hominins?

Question 46

​Select the best choice for the following statements in reference to the four hominids listed below.
a.​Homo habilis
b.​Homo erectus
c.​Homo sapiens
d.​Homo neanderthalensis
Our own species evolved from this species.

Question 47

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
Homo erectus

Question 48

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.​
a.​includes modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.b.​a population of Homo spp. that lived from as recently as 28,000 years ago; tool users and artisans
c.​the order that includes animals with freely swiveling limbs, mobile grasping digits, upright body posture, good depth perception, and exquisite neural control
d.​organisms in a group that includes New World and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
e.​an era that began 65 to 63 million years ago; characterized by the evolution of birds, mammals, and flowering plants
f.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 23.8 million to 5.3 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of hominoid species now assigned to the genus Proconsul
g.​an epoch of the Cenozoic lasting from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; characterized by the appearance of distinctly modern plants and animals
h.​informal name for chimpanzee-sized hominins that lived in Africa from 4 million to 1.2 million years ago.i.​a group including humans and human-like species
Homo sapiens

Question 49

​Select the best choice for the following statements in reference to the four hominids listed below.
a.​Homo habilis
b.​Homo erectus
c.​Homo sapiens
d.​Homo neanderthalensis
This species was the first Homo species definitely known to use tools.

Question 50

Why is it so difficult to identify the beginnings of the hominin line?

Question 51

Did Homo sapiens mate with Homo neanderthalensis?