Deck 14: Human Evolution

Question 1

What does the positioning of the toe indicated by the arrow in this figure suggest about the owner of this fossil hominid foot?

A)This hominid most likely always traveled on four feet.
B)This hominid most likely spent all of its time swinging in the trees.
C)This hominid traveled mostly on four feet but also spent a great deal of time swinging in the trees.
D)This hominid probably walked upright on two feet and may have spent time in trees.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The phylum Chordata includes several subgroups of organisms.To which of these subgroups would humans belong?

A)vertebrates
B)cephalochordates
C)urochordates
D)monotremes

Answer 2

A

Question 3

You are relaxing on the veranda of your beachfront rental on the Gulf of Mexico when you notice a small (about 5 inches long),green quadruped clinging to the ceiling.As it begins to run down the wall,you catch it and notice that it is covered with dry scales,has a long tail,and specialized toe pads that allow it to stick to surfaces.This animal most likely belongs to which class?

A)Mammalia
B)Amphibia
C)Reptilia
D)Osteichthyes

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of bipedalism in hominins?

A)The hands would be free to carry food,tools,and weapons.
B)Standing on two feet elevates the head making it easier to see over obstacles and to see farther allowing earlier detection of predators.
C)Walking on two feet requires fewer muscle groups and less energy than walking on all fours.
D)Standing on two feet makes it easier to climb trees.

Question 5

The development of upright posture in hominins is likely

A)an adaptation for living on the ground instead of in the trees.
B)an adaptation for living on land instead of on the water.
C)an adaptation for no longer needing to carry tools.
D)an adaptation for having no functional knees.

Question 6

Which of the following could NOT be used to describe humans?

A)eutherian
B)mammal
C)primate
D)marsupial

Question 7

Fossilized foot bones show that some hominids living between 3 and 3.5 mya walked upright but had partially opposable big toes.This suggests that

A)the shift to bipedalism was not sudden and complete,and the earliest bipedal hominins may have also spent some time in the trees for shelter or to find food.
B)the shift from quadrupedalism to bipedalism happened abruptly about 2.5 mya when hominins could no longer find any food in trees.
C)hominins actually shifted from bipedalism to quadrupedalism as it proved to be an advantage when acquiring food.
D)having a partially opposable big toe helped bipedal hominins run faster to avoid their predators.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a feature of hominins that distinguishes them from other hominids?

A)bipedal walking
B)upright posture
C)opposable big toe
D)a relatively flat face

Question 9

Which of the following categories of the Linnaean hierarchy would include the broadest range of related organisms?

A)species
B)phylum
C)family
D)genus

Question 10

Which of the following groupings of animals are most closely related to each other?

A)starfish,butterflies,lizards
B)frogs,goldfish,birds
C)bats,kangaroos,elephants
D)lemurs,chimps,humans

Question 11

All primates have opposable thumbs.This means the thumbs

A)can be touched together.
B)can be touched to each of the other fingers on the opposite hand.
C)can be touched to each of the other fingers on the same hand.
D)can be touched to each of the toes on both feet.

Question 12

The correct two-word Latin,scientific name,for modern humans is

A)Homo sapiens.
B)Homo neanderthalensis.
C)homo sapiens.
D)homo neanderthalensis.

Question 13

Which of the following anatomical changes was NOT likely a contributor to the development of full bipedalism in hominins?

A)restructuring of the pelvis
B)loss of opposable big toes
C)a change in the angle of knee joints that support body weight
D)having no arch in the foot

Question 14

You are on an archaeological dig in Africa when you find a collection of stone tools along with several skeletons in a cave.These bipedal skeletons date to about 3.5 million years ago and show no evidence of a partially opposable toe.Measurements indicate the brains would have been a little less than a third of the volume of modern humans.The teeth found on these skeletons look more like those of an ape than those of a human.Your skeletal discovery is most likely which of the following?

A)Sahelanthropus tchadensis
B)Ardipithecus ramidus
C)Homo erectus
D)Australopithecus afarensis

Question 15

You are camping in the south central United States when one evening you happen across an animal with several "armored" plates covering its back and shoulders.The plates are bony and separated by thin bands of flexible skin.The belly of this short-legged quadruped is covered with skin and soft fur.You also notice four young ones scurrying along with the adult.This animal most likely belongs to which class?

A)Mammalia
B)Amphibia
C)Reptilia
D)Osteichthyes

Question 16

The first vertebrates to evolve lacked jaws and had skeletons made from a strong flexible tissue called cartilage.The lamprey is a modern example of this ancient group of vertebrates known as

A)amphibians.
B)reptiles.
C)bony fishes.
D)jawless fishes.

Question 17

According to this evolutionary tree,when did hominins branch away from the other apes?

A)35 mya
B)12-16 mya
C)7-8 mya
D)5-7 mya

Question 18

Which of the following adaptations was NOT required to facilitate the evolution of animal life on land?

A)water-conserving excretory system
B)amniotic egg
C)skin covered with waterproof scales
D)a fully cartilaginous skeleton

Question 19

Which of the following traits was likely deleterious for early hominins?

A)a large brain compared to body size
B)bipedal walking
C)a pronounced arch and heel in the foot
D)an opposable big toe in the foot

Question 20

Which of the following categories of the Linnaean hierarchy would include the most closely related organisms?

A)order
B)genus
C)class
D)family

Question 21

Evidence indicates that archaic Homo sapiens gave rise to which of the following?

A)modern humans and Homo neanderthalensis
B)modern humans and Homo habilis
C)Homo habilis and Homo neanderthalensis
D)Homo rudolfensis and Homo neanderthalensis

Question 22

Is it possible for Homo sapiens and Neanderthals to be related even if humans are not the direct descendants of Neanderthals?

A)No,because this would mean there is no connection at all between humans and Neanderthals.
B)No,because the evolution of humans is clearly linear.
C)Yes,but only because humans and Neanderthals commonly interbred.
D)Yes,because humans and Neanderthals share a common ancestor.

Question 23

Examine the skulls shown in this figure.What can be said regarding trends in braincase size and teeth over time?

A)More recent hominin fossils have larger braincases and generally smaller,more humanlike teeth.
B)Older hominin fossils have larger braincases and generally smaller,more humanlike teeth.
C)More recent hominin fossils have smaller braincases and generally larger,more apelike teeth.
D)There is no apparent change in braincase size or size and structure of the teeth in hominins.

Question 24

The infamous American outlaw,Jesse Woodson James,died April 3,1882.His body was originally interred on the James' farm but was later moved to Mt.Olivet Cemetery in Kearney,Nebraska.Some people have hypothesized that his death was staged.Researchers have exhumed the body and analyzed mitochondrial DNA found in the teeth with that of mitochondrial DNA from hair samples from the James' farm burial site;they matched.These samples were then compared to the mitochondrial DNA of Jesse's sister Susan's great-grandson and her great-great-grandson.Which of the following would support the hypothesis that the body buried in Mt.Olivet Cemetery is NOT Jesse James?

A)The mitochondrial DNA from the grave matches the mitochondrial DNA obtained from Susan's great-grandson and great-great-grandson.
B)The mitochondrial DNA from the grave does not match the mitochondrial DNA obtained from Susan's great-grandson and great-great-grandson.
C)The mitochondrial DNA from the grave matches Susan's mitochondrial DNA.
D)The mitochondrial DNA from the grave matches not only the mitochondrial DNA obtained from Susan's great-grandson and her great-great-grandson,but it also matches mitochondrial DNA from Susan's daughter.

Question 25

Eggs provide

A)both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to the offspring cell.
B)only nuclear DNA to the offspring cell.
C)only mitochondrial DNA to the offspring cell.
D)no DNA to the offspring cell.

Question 26

Fossilized hominin bones have been found in Germany along with some tools and evidence of charred and fossilized bones from large animals dating to about 350,000 years ago.The hominin bones bear resemblance to both Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.Which of the following is the most likely possible identity of these fossils?

A)Australopithecus anamensis
B)Homo habilis
C)Paranthropus boisei
D)archaic Homo sapiens

Question 27

What evidence would support the hypothesis that Neanderthals evolved sometime after hominins migrated out of Africa?

A)The presence of Neanderthal DNA in the genomes of modern humans in all ethnic groups except for those of Africans would support this hypothesis.
B)The presence of Neanderthal DNA in the genomes of modern African humans would support this hypothesis.
C)The presence of Neanderthal DNA in the mitochondria of modern African humans would support this hypothesis.
D)The presence of Neanderthal DNA in the genomes of Australopithecus africanus would support this hypothesis.

Question 28

Examine the following Hominin evolutionary tree.Which of the following genera are most closely related?

A)Ardipithecus and Homo
B)Australopithecus and Homo
C)Sahalenthropus and Homo
D)Orrorin and Homo

Question 29

How is mitochondrial DNA inherited?

A)All mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother.
B)Fifty percent of mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother and 50 percent from the father.
C)All mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the father.
D)Only 75 percent of mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the father,the other 25 percent is inherited from the mother.

Question 30

In 2010,Dr.Svante Pääbo published research indicating that all modern ethnic groups,other than Africans,carry traces of Neanderthal DNA in their nuclear genomes.His earlier work indicated no overlap between Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA and that of Homo sapiens.Which of the following is NOT a likely possible hypothesis that could be supported by this information?

A)The shared nuclear DNA could be a remnant of DNA from a common ancestor shared by Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.
B)The shared nuclear DNA could be the result of interbreeding between male Neanderthals and female Homo sapiens.
C)The shared nuclear DNA could be a remnant of DNA from Homo erectus,one of the most recent species since Australopithecus.
D)The shared nuclear DNA is definitely the result of interbreeding between female Neanderthals and male humans.

Question 31

Which of the following best describes the source of your mitochondrial DNA?

A)All of my mitochondrial DNA was inherited from my mother.
B)All of my mitochondrial DNA was inherited from my father.
C)Half of my mitochondrial DNA was inherited from my mother and half from my father.
D)Seventy-five percent of my mitochondrial DNA was inherited from my mother and 25 percent was inherited from my father.

Question 32

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A)Different species of hominins never coexisted on Earth.
B)Hominin evolutionary trees can be made clearer by analyzing available DNA.
C)There is evidence that various populations of hominins interbred.
D)Fossil evidence indicates that as many as five different species of hominins existed one to two million years ago.

Question 33

You are evaluating DNA from a fossil and hypothesize that the mother was a Neanderthal and the father was a human.Which of the following would support your hypothesis?

A)Finding discernable amounts of mitochondrial and nuclear Neanderthal DNA along with nuclear human DNA would support the hypothesis.
B)Finding discernable amounts of nuclear Neanderthal and human DNA but no mitochondrial Neanderthal DNA would support the hypothesis.
C)Finding significant amounts of human mitochondrial and nuclear DNA along with some uclear Neanderthal DNA would support the hypothesis.
D)Finding all of the nuclear DNA to be Neanderthal and all of the mitochondrial DNA to be human would support the hypothesis.

Question 34

If evidence indicates that Homo erectus and Homo habilis used stone tools and may have been able to use fire,which of the following is also likely?

A)Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis also used stone tools and probably used fire.
B)Orrorin tugenensis and Ardipithecus kadabba not only used stone tools,they also made fire.
C)Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecus afarensis definitely used stone tools and could make fire.
D)Sahalenthropus tchadensis and Ardipithecus ramidus used stone tools and could make fire.

Question 35

If your mitochondrial DNA was sequenced and compared to the sequence of mitochondrial DNA isolated from your mother's paternal grandmother (the mother of your mom's dad)would you expect to see a significant match to yours and why?

A)No,there would not be a significant match because my mitochondrial DNA was inherited from my mom who inherited it from her mom.
B)No,there would not be a significant match because my mitochondrial DNA was inherited from my dad who inherited it from his mom.
C)Yes,there would be a significant match because I inherited my mitochondrial DNA from my dad who inherited it from his mom.
D)Yes,there would be a significant match because I inherited my mitochondrial DNA from my mom who inherited from her dad.

Question 36

Sperm provide

A)both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to the offspring cell.
B)only nuclear DNA to the offspring cell.
C)only mitochondrial DNA to the offspring cell.
D)no DNA to the offspring cell.

Question 37

Which of the following best describes the source of your nuclear DNA?

A)All of my nuclear DNA was inherited from my mother.
B)All of my nuclear DNA was inherited from my father.
C)Half of my nuclear DNA was inherited from my mother and half from my father.
D)Seventy-five percent of my nuclear DNA was inherited from my father and 25 percent from my mother.

Question 38

How is nuclear DNA inherited?

A)All nuclear DNA is inherited from the father's ancestral line.
B)Seventy-five percent of nuclear DNA is inherited from the mother's ancestral line and 25 percent from the father's ancestral line.
C)All nuclear DNA is inherited from the mother's ancestral line.
D)Fifty percent of nuclear DNA is inherited from the mother's ancestral line and 50 percent from the father's ancestral line.

Question 39

Fossil evidence indicates that the first members of the genus Homo arose approximately ________ years ago.

A)2 million
B)200,000
C)500,000
D)1 million

Question 40

Would a hominin evolutionary tree look thin and spindly or full and bushy?

A)The hominin evolutionary tree would look full and bushy because it would have started about 6 mya with multiple branched branches throughout the millennia.
B)The hominin evolutionary tree would look thin and spindly because it started about 6 mya and followed a straight linear progression from Sahalenthropus tchadensis to Homo sapiens.
C)The hominin evolutionary tree would look full and bushy because is started only 2 mya and has many branches between Homo habilis to Homo sapiens.
D)The hominin evolutionary tree would look thin and spindly because it started only 2 mya and followed a straight linear progression from Homo rudolfensis to Homo sapiens.

Question 41

It is possible that modern humans may have comingled with which of these other ancestors?

A)Homo neanderthalensis,Homo heidelbergensis,and Homo floresiensis
B)Homo neanderthalensis,Paranthropus aetheopicus,and Australopithecus africanus
C)Homo heidelbergensis,Homo floresiensis,and Australopithecus africanus
D)Homo heidelbergensis,Paranthropus aetheopicus,and Australopithecus africanus

Question 42

Fossils from different species of the genus Homo dating from 1.7-1.9 mya have been found in ecologically diverse areas across central Asia,China,and Indonesia.These species appear to be closely related to Homo erectus.Which of the following is a likely explanation of these findings?

A)Homo erectus migrated across the Asian continent and expanded into a new ecological role. These groups became increasingly reproductively isolated from other Homo erectus groups and eventually formed new species in the genus Homo.
B)Homo sapiens migrated across the Asian continent and expanded into a new ecological role. These groups became increasingly reproductively isolated from other Homo sapien groups and eventually formed new species in the genus Homo that were more like Homo erectus and less like Homo sapiens.
C)Homo floresiensis migrated across the Asian continent and expanded into a new ecological role.These groups became increasingly reproductively isolated from other Homo floresiensis groups and eventually formed new species in the genus Homo that were more like Homo erectus and less like Homo floresiensis.
D)Homo neanderthalensis migrated across the Asian continent and expanded into a new ecological role.These groups became increasingly reproductively isolated from other Homo neanderthalensis groups and eventually formed new species in the genus Homo that were more like Homo erectus and less like Homo neanderthalensis.

Question 43

In light of the "out-of-Africa" hypothesis,which of the following is a parsimonious reason why species like Homo neanderthalensis,Homo floresinensis,and Homo erectus do not exist today?

A)Modern Homo sapiens out-competed and replaced other hominin species as they migrated around the world.
B)Extensive gene flow between human populations led to a blending of traits that resulted in the evolution of Homo sapiens.
C)As modern Homo sapiens developed new and more accurate hunting skills they were able to hunt other hominin species to extinction.
D)Climate change in Africa caused the extinction of all hominin populations except for the ones that gave rise to modern Homo sapiens.

Question 44

The fossil of a male hominin is discovered,and it appears to share traits with both humans and Neanderthals.What could mitochondrial-DNA sequencing and whole-genome DNA sequencing tell you about the fossil's parents?

Question 45

When researchers found a fossilized jawbone from a late (about 43-45 tya)Italian Neanderthal,they noted that the shape of the jawbone suggested the individual had an intermediate chin instead of no chin like most Neanderthals.This would provide evidence supporting which of the following hypotheses?

A)Modern Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis successfully bred with each other while both were present on the Italian peninsula of Europe.
B)Homo habilis and Homo neanderthalensis successfully bred with each other while both were present on the Italian peninsula of Europe.
C)Home habilis and Homo neanderthalensis successfully bred with each other while both were present in central Africa.
D)Modern Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis successfully bred with each other while both were present in central Africa.

Question 46

Fossil evidence from around the world indicates that anatomically modern humans first evolved in Africa about 195,000-200,000 years ago from a population of archaic Homo sapiens and then successfully migrated to and inhabited almost all continents by 13,000 years ago.During literally tens of thousands of years,modern humans lived alongside other ________ populations,eventually replacing them.

Question 47

In the eighteenth century,a Swedish naturalist devised a system of biological classification known as ________.

Question 48

All of your mitochondrial DNA was inherited from your ________.

Question 49

Which of the following is the strongest evidence that suggests Homo sapiens may have intermingled with other species such as H.heidelbergensis and H.neanderthalensis?

A)Fossils from all or some of these Homo species dating to the same time period and found in overlapping geographic areas,showing phenotypes intermediate to at least two of the other species as well as evidence of DNA shared between the species would suggest that they may have intermingled with each other.
B)Fossils from all or some of these Homo species dating to the same time period and found in overlapping geographic areas would suggest that they may have intermingled with each other.
C)Fossils from all or some of these Homo species found in overlapping geographic areas as well as evidence of DNA shared between the species would suggest that they may have intermingled with each other.
D)Evidence of DNA shared between the species would suggest that they may have intermingled with each other.

Question 50

Consider that fossils of Homo erectus dating between 1.66 to 1.85 mya have been found scattered across Eastern Europe through China and Southeast Asia and dating back to 2.4 mya in Africa.The earliest known specimens of anatomically modern Homo sapiens in Africa date back to roughly 200,000 years ago and 40,000 to 60,000 years ago across Europe and Asia with some at 115,000 years ago in India.Additionally,Homo neanderthalensis was present across Europe by 150,000 years ago and then spread into western Asia.If there were no evidence indicating the presence of any other early Homo species in Europe,which of the following hypotheses might be supported by this information?

A)Homo erectus is a possible common ancestor to Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.
B)Homo neanderthalensis is a possible common ancestor to Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.
C)Homo sapiens is a possible common ancestor to Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis.
D)Homo floresiensis is the most likely common ancestor to Homo erectus,Homo neanderthalensis,and Homo sapiens.

Question 51

When a group of organisms like Homo erectus expands to take on new ecological roles forming new species of hominins who are able to live in a broad range of new environments,that group is said to have undergone ________.

Question 52

Match the following levels of human classification with the appropriate levels of the Linnaean hierarchy.
a.Homo
b.Primates
c.Chordata
d.Homo sapiens
e.Mammalia
f.Animalia
g.Hominidae
Kingdom

Question 53

Using this hominin evolutionary tree,indicate roughly when DNA from Neanderthals would have been introduced to the human genome if that Neanderthal DNA was a remnant from a common hominin ancestor.Support your answer by indicating which hominin would be the most likely candidate as the ancestor.

Question 54

Consider that fossils of Homo erectus dating between 1.66 to 1.85 mya have been found scattered across Eastern Europe through China and Southeast Asia and dating back to 2.4 mya in Africa.The earliest known specimens of anatomically modern Homo sapiens in Africa date back to roughly 200,000 years ago and 40,000 to 60,000 years ago across Europe and Asia with some at 115,000 years ago in India.Additionally,Homo neanderthalensis was present across Europe by 150,000 years ago and then spread into western Asia.What does this suggest about the "out-of-Africa" hypothesis?

A)This suggests that hominins migrated north from Africa spreading out across Europe and Asia at least twice.
B)This suggests that hominins migrated north from Africa spreading out across Europe and Asia three times.
C)This suggests that there was only one major migration of hominins out of Africa.
D)This suggests that there must have been at least seven major migrations of hominins out of Africa.

Question 55

What evidence would support the hypothesis that a male Homo sapiens mated with a female Homo neanderthalensis and produced offspring?

Question 56

List in order from most exclusive to most inclusive the seven levels of the Linnaean hierarchy of biological classification.

Question 57

Briefly explain the difference between hominids and hominins.

Question 58

Members of the "human" branch of the ape family,including modern humans as well as our extinct relatives,are properly referred to as ________.

Question 59

When researchers determined that the jawbone of an Italian Neanderthal dating to around 43-45 tya showed the presence of an intermediate chin and mitochondrial Neanderthal DNA,they hypothesized that the jawbone belonged to an individual who was the product of a mating between a modern human and a Neanderthal.Which of the following lines of evidence would also support this hypothesis?

A)The fossil would have both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens genomic DNA.
B)The fossil would have only Neanderthal mitochondrial and genomic DNA.
C)The fossil would have only Neanderthal genomic DNA.
D)The fossil would have both Neanderthal and Homo habilis genomic DNA.

Question 60

You are a researcher excavating a site in a cave in Israel.There are many layers of sediment and primitive artifacts (flint tools for cutting and scraping)from ancestral Homo species within the cave.As you work your way deeper and deeper through the layers,you notice that artifacts in the deeper layers (laid before 350,000 years ago)do not show any signs of having been exposed to fire.Artifacts in layers less than 350 tya show rapidly increasing evidence of exposure to fire.Your colleagues working in nearby caves and caves scattered around the eastern Mediterranean Sea have found similar evidence dating in the same time frames.The evidence is also consistent with that of European sites.What does this suggest about the use of fire by ancestral humans?

A)Ancestral humans who had migrated to areas around the eastern Mediterranean Sea and Europe very likely learned to control and use fire around the same time (about 300,000 to 350,000 years ago),and they became increasingly good at it.
B)Ancestral humans (about 200,000 years ago)were simply using fire they obtained from lightning-sparked wildfires;they did not make or maintain their own fires.
C)Ancestral humans could not have migrated into climates cooler than those found in Africa until about 150,000 years ago because they had not yet figured out how to use fire before that time.
D)The hominins occupying the caves,making and using fire must have been modern Homo sapiens because no other human ancestors were still surviving 300-350 tya and no other human ancestors were ever able to use fire.

Question 61

Match the following levels of human classification with the appropriate levels of the Linnaean hierarchy.
a.Homo
b.Primates
c.Chordata
d.Homo sapiens
e.Mammalia
f.Animalia
g.Hominidae
Family

Question 62

Match the following levels of human classification with the appropriate levels of the Linnaean hierarchy.
a.Homo
b.Primates
c.Chordata
d.Homo sapiens
e.Mammalia
f.Animalia
g.Hominidae
Order

Question 63

Match the following levels of human classification with the appropriate levels of the Linnaean hierarchy.
a.Homo
b.Primates
c.Chordata
d.Homo sapiens
e.Mammalia
f.Animalia
g.Hominidae
Genus

Question 64

Match the following levels of human classification with the appropriate levels of the Linnaean hierarchy.
a.Homo
b.Primates
c.Chordata
d.Homo sapiens
e.Mammalia
f.Animalia
g.Hominidae
Class

Question 65

Match the following levels of human classification with the appropriate levels of the Linnaean hierarchy.
a.Homo
b.Primates
c.Chordata
d.Homo sapiens
e.Mammalia
f.Animalia
g.Hominidae
Phylum

Question 66

Match the following levels of human classification with the appropriate levels of the Linnaean hierarchy.
a.Homo
b.Primates
c.Chordata
d.Homo sapiens
e.Mammalia
f.Animalia
g.Hominidae
Species