Deck 1: Investigating the Nature of Humankind

Question 1

Hypotheses:

A)are capable of being disproven
B)can be tested through experiments and observations
C)are based on empirical observations
D)all of the above

Answer 1

all of the above

Question 2

A study of a people's political organization would be a part of:

A)cultural anthropology
B)linguistics
C)archaeology
D)physical anthropology

Answer 2

cultural anthropology

Question 3

A tentative statement about the relationship between two variables is a(n):

A)hypothesis
B)theory
C)empirical statement
D)rationalization

Answer 3

hypothesis

Question 4

The subfield of physical anthropology includes the study of:

A)human genetics
B)forensic anthropology
C)human biological variation
D)all of the above

Question 5

An empirical observation is one that is:

A)measurable
B)a fact
C)received through the senses
D)all of the above

Question 6

When scientists say that evolution is a theory they mean that evolution is:

A)a general law or principle supported by a mass of data
B)an educated guess
C)but one of several possible explanations for the diversity of life
D)accepted by the majority of scientists

Question 7

An anthropological linguist:

A)always attempts to learn to speak as many languages as she possibly can
B)teaches students foreign languages
C)studies the history,function,structure,and physiology of language
D)would only be interested in cultures that have writing systems

Question 8

Hypotheses:

A)are always considered to be correct statements
B)are the same thing as a laws in science
C)are not a necessary part of the scientific method
D)must be logical and testable

Question 9

Darwin's explanation of evolution by natural selection is an example of a(n):

A)theory
B)hypothesis
C)empirical statement
D)experiment

Question 10

That evolution has occurred is a(n):

A)theory
B)hypothesis
C)fact
D)experiment

Question 11

The practical application of anthropological knowledge to real-world concerns is called:

A)academic anthropology
B)lived anthropology
C)applied anthropology
D)realistic anthropology

Question 12

Cultural anthropology:

A)is a branch of archaeology
B)is the study of art and music
C)includes the study of human social organizations and learned patterns of behavior
D)includes paleontology as a major topic

Question 13

A hypothesis may be tested in a number of ways.One of the following is not a way to test a hypothesis:

A)test the predictive value of the hypothesize by comparing it to all know data from nature
B)ask all scientists doing research in the area the hypothesis concerns and confirming the hypothesis based on a consensus of the opinions of those scientists
C)conduct experiments
D)through comparative studies

Question 14

Statements about the ways in which evolution occurs (the processes)are:

A)facts
B)theories
C)experiments
D)variables

Question 15

Once proposed,a hypothesis may be tested by:

A)comparing it to known data gathered from nature
B)conducting an experiment
C)comparing one phenomena to another to determine the relationships between them
D)all of the above

Question 16

Which of the following would not be considered a scientific idea?

A)the earth is round
B)all men are created equal
C)the physical earth is constantly changing
D)all life on earth has a common origin

Question 17

The field that studies the fossil record is:

A)primatology
B)paleontology
C)genetics
D)archaeology

Question 18

Scientific investigation can:

A)provide answers to all possible questions
B)generate statements which are considered to be absolute truth
C)only deal with empirical observations
D)all of the above

Question 19

A theory is:

A)a speculative statement
B)a statement of extremely high validity
C)the same as a hypothesis
D)the same as a fact

Question 20

An example of a variable would be:

A)the theory of evolution by natural selection
B)the cranial capacities of a series of skulls
C)that all mammals give live birth
D)all of the above

Question 21

The idea that animal forms are arranged in a ladder whereby organisms progressed from a lesser to a greater state of perfection is termed:

A)holism
B)uniformitarianism
C)great chain of being
D)anthropocentrism

Question 22

The fact that the earth is not the center of the universe was conclusively demonstrated by:

A)James Ussher
B)Nicolaus Copernicus
C)Carolus Linnaeus
D)Comte de Buffon

Question 23

A control in science is:

A)a situation that differs from the situation being tested
B)an empirical observation
C)always easy to achieve in physical anthropology
D)a monocausal explanation for a phenomenon

Question 24

Which of the following statements is true regarding scientific hypotheses and theories about human evolution?

A)Scientists refuse to consider supernatural causes to explain their observations because most scientists are atheists.
B)Explanations of natural phenomena based upon religious dogma are superior because science cannot explain a great many things about the world.
C)Scientists refuse to invoke supernatural causes because the scientific method restricts scientific inquiry.to hypotheses that are falsifiable and testable.
D)While evolution has been fairly well demonstrated in bacteria,plants,and simple animals,it has not been demonstrated to have taken place in humans.

Question 25

Jean Baptiste de Lamarck is associated with:

A)the first scientific account of the gorilla
B)the concept of uniformitarianism
C)the concept of natural selection
D)the principle of acquired characteristics

Question 26

Lamarck believed that parts of the body that are used are strengthened and improved,whereas parts of the body that are not become weak and might disappear.This is the principle of:

A)Lamarckism
B)strength and weakness
C)use and disuse
D)inheritance and disinheritance

Question 27

All scientific ideas are neutral with regard to religious beliefs because:

A)the goal of science to explain natural phenomena without depending upon supernatural causation
B)although ideas based on faith can be tested,this is seldom done by scientists
C)all scientists are atheists

Question 28

The eighteenth-century biologist Comte de Buffon:

A)argued that the earth was the center of the universe
B)believed that living forms are immutable
C)proposed that the earth is much older than 6,000 years
D)developed a classification of the living world that is still used today

Question 29

An eighteenth-century scientific classification of the living world was made by:

A)Nicolaus Copernicus
B)Carolus Linnaeus
C)Comte de Buffon
D)Charles Lyell

Question 30

In the eighteenth century the accepted date for the origin of the earth,as calculated in the seventeenth century by Bishop Ussher,was:

A)1 million B.C.
B)250,000 B.C.
C)10,550 B.C.
D)4004 B.C.

Question 31

An early belief was that life is immutable,that is:

A)once created,a type of organism remains unchanged
B)once created,a type of organism may become extinct or change into some other type of organism
C)once created,a type of organism may evolve through time into other types of organisms
D)none of the above

Question 32

Which of the following statements is true?

A)One cannot accept science and also be a religious person.
B)Science can successfully answer questions about ethics and morality.
C)Scientific conclusions are based upon available evidence and therefore can change when new evidence appears.
D)Scientific conclusions are considered to be absolute facts within the scientific community.

Question 33

Catastrophists believe that the geographic history of the earth and changes in the biological world are a result of:

A)natural selection as described by Charles Darwin
B)gradual changes caused by such factors as wind,water,earthquakes,and volcanoes
C)a series of violent and sudden events
D)the first six days of creation as depicted in Genesis

Question 34

Jean Baptiste de Lamarck was important because:

A)his theory of evolution was correct in detail
B)he speculated on the mechanisms of change
C)he proposed the idea of uniformitarianism
D)all of the above

Question 35

If a woman and a man both lift weights and become muscular,it follows that their offspring:

A)are more likely to be muscular
B)will inherit their father's,but not their mother's,muscularity
C)will be genetically weaker
D)will not be more muscular simply because their parents lift weights

Question 36

The idea that humans are superior to other animals is termed:

A)egocentrism
B)anthropocentrism
C)ethnocentrism
D)geocentrism

Question 37

George Cuvier developed the theory of:

A)acquired characteristics
B)catastrophism
C)uniformitarianism
D)anthropocentrism

Question 38

The belief that people are the center of the universe is termed:

A)ethnocentrism
B)anthropocentrism
C)holism
D)cultural relativism

Question 39

Linnaeus's classification was important because:

A)it ordered observations
B)it provided means of seeing change and possible ancestral relationships
C)it included humans
D)all of the above

Question 40

The idea that life can form from nonliving material is known as:

A)uniformitarianism
B)spontaneous generation
C)anthropocentricity
D)immutability

Question 41

The Galápagos Islands are located off the coast of:

A)New Guinea
B)Ecuador
C)Australia
D)England

Question 42

Charles Darwin realized that populations have the potential to grow at a faster rate than their food supply.This idea came from the writings of:

A)Thomas Malthus
B)James Hutton
C)Charles Lyell
D)Georges Cuvier

Question 43

The concept of uniformitarianism states that:

A)the human genome is uniform throughout the world
B)the basis skeletal structure of the primates show much uniformity
C)the mechanism of heredity is uniform throughout the animal kingdom
D)the physical laws of nature are uniform throughout time

Question 44

The principle of uniformitarianism refers to the concept that:

A)the geological processes at work today are the same as those at work in the past
B)evolution is a universal fact
C)the basic biological processes of life are the same wherever life is found
D)the laws of heredity are universal

Question 45

The importance of uniformitarianism for the development of Darwinian theory is that it:

A)showed that the earth's age was many times greater than previously thought
B)explained the uniformity of shape among different animal species
C)allowed for change in a species over time
D)explained the existence of fossils

Question 46

Darwin's five-year voyage on board the HMS Beagle:

A)was disappointing to him since he only was able to visit South America
B)allowed him to gain new insights about the plants and animals in different parts of the world
C)was important because he traveled with the older and more experienced naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace
D)all of the above

Question 47

When Charles Darwin began his voyage around the world in 1831,he was given a textbook in geology that set forth ideas on the evolution of the earth.This book,Principles of Geology,was by:

A)Thomas Malthus
B)Alfred Russel Wallace
C)Charles Lyell
D)William Smith

Question 48

Charles Darwin wrote in On the Origin of Species that:

A)the genetic material is a protein
B)traits are inherited through paired genes
C)natural selection occurs because of differences in fertility rates among individuals
D)humans are descended from apes

Question 49

Charles Darwin:

A)is best known for explaining evolution in terms of natural selection
B)was the first person to conceive of the idea of evolution
C)published The Origin of Species in 1696
D)was the first person to work out the basic principles of heredity

Question 50

Alfred Russel Wallace:

A)wrote "Essay on the Principles of Population"
B)was a rigorous opponent of the concept of natural selection
C)came up with the idea of natural selection at about the same time as Charles Darwin
D)disproved spontaneous creation

Question 51

Which of the following statements is not correct?

A)Charles Darwin was the first person to conceive of the idea of evolution.
B)The concept of evolution was the result of a long chain of discoveries and hypotheses.
C)The theory of evolution was not developed by one person.
D)Thomas R.Malthus's "Essay on the Principles of Population" was influential on Darwin and Wallace in their conceptualization of natural selection.

Question 52

The main destination of the HMS Beagle,on which Darwin was the ship's naturalist,was:

A)Europe
B)Asia
C)South America
D)North America

Question 53

Charles Darwin:

A)was the first to apply the scientific method to examining evolution
B)proved that evolution had occurred
C)provided a mechanism to explain how evolution works
D)disproved the biblical account of creation

Question 54

The concept of natural selection was developed by Charles Darwin and,at about the same time,by another biologist:

A)Thomas Malthus
B)Charles Lyell
C)Alfred R.Wallace
D)Carolus Linnaeus

Question 55

That each stratum was characterized by distinct fossils that could be used to indicate the age of strata was found by:

A)Charles Lyell
B)Charles Darwin
C)William Smith
D)Carolus Linnaeus

Question 56

William Smith is noted for:

A)being the first geologist to recognize what a fossil was
B)developing the concept of uniformitarianism
C)finding the earliest known stone tools of human manufacture
D)studying the strata of the earth and creating the first geologic map of England

Question 57

Darwin laid out his ideas on evolution by natural selection in the book:

A)The Antiquity of Man
B)The Principles of Populations
C)On the Origin of Species
D)The Principles of Geology

Question 58

The first person to make a systematic attempt to demonstrate the existence of a prehistoric period was:

A)Charles Darwin
B)Jacques Boucher de Perthes
C)Comte de Buffon
D)Jean Baptiste de Lamarck

Question 59

Charles Lyell is associated with the concept of:

A)uniformitarianism
B)catastrophism
C)the theory of acquired characteristics
D)the heliocentric view of the universe

Question 60

Jacques Boucher de Crevecoeur de Perthes:

A)was the first to demonstrate that the earth was extremely old
B)recognized primitive stone tools as evidence of prehistoric peoples
C)believed that collections of now-extinct fossil animals in particular strata ended with catastrophic events
D)developed the principle of use and disuse

Question 61

Essential elements of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection include:

A)individuals within a population vary
B)while organisms are able to reproduce rapidly,resource growth is limited
C)individuals with favorable variations will be more likely to survive and reproduce
D)all of the above

Question 62

Intelligent Design Theory:

A)answers important questions that have not been successfully explained by natural selection
B)suggests that the existence of complex design in the world is evidence of an intelligent designer
C)is consistent with the scientific methods and should be included in scientific discussions

Question 63

The synthetic theory of evolution integrates the Darwinian concept of natural selection with:

A)genetics
B)paleontology
C)embryology
D)all of the above

Question 64

In the Kitzmiller V.Dover Area School District legal case,the Judge declared that:

A)intelligent design was a legitimate scientific concept
B)the school board had the right to require teachers to discuss intelligent design in their 9th grade classes
C)intelligent design is not a scientific concept
D)the concept of evolution is a religion concept

Question 65

Intelligent design theory is:

A)a new version of evolutionary theory
B)a creationist explanation
C)an attempt to blend natural selection and religion
D)based on new genetic information

Question 66

The synthetic theory of evolution refers to the fusion of natural selection with the fusion of natural selection with:

A)intelligent design theory
B)theology
C)genetics,paleontology,and other disciplines
D)new discoveries in astronomy and astrophysics

Question 67

Court cases advocating the teaching of creation science:

A)are now on the books in over 40 states
B)have not occurred in the last twenty years
C)are supported by the majority of anthropologists
D)are still being fought well into the 21st century

Question 68

On November 20,2005,Federal Judge John Jones ruled in a case involving the attempt of the Dover Pennsylvania school board to introduce Intelligent Design into the biology curriculum that:

A)since the "designer" is not identified as God,Intelligent Design is not a religious concept
B)Intelligent Design is a form of creationism and,being a religious concept,cannot be taught in the public schools as science
C)in order to present all sides of an issue Intelligent Design should be taught alongside evolution in the science classroom

Question 69

From 1925 to recently a series of court cases have ruled that which of the following laws or policies were legal?

A)law prohibiting the teaching of evolution
B)law mandating equal treatment of creation-science with evolution
C)school district rule restricting the right of teachers to teach creationism in the classroom
D)all of the above were declared illegal

Question 70

Darwin's theory states that ____________ who are more well-suited to their environment will be more likely to survive and reproduce.

A)individuals
B)species
C)families
D)groups

Question 71

Scientific Creationism and Intelligent Design are:

A)scientific explanations of phenomena that do not appear to be affected by natural selection
B)attempts to discredit evolution and replace evolutionary theory with religious-based ideas
C)developed because of growing doubts about the validity of evolution within the scientific community
D)based upon new discoveries in genetics

Question 72

Darwin believed that evolution:

A)happened quite rapidly
B)occurred over extremely long periods of time
C)could be observed in an individual's lifetime

Question 73

Darwin lacked an accurate understanding of:

A)inheritance
B)variability of populations
C)population growth
D)differential survival rates

Question 74

Which of the following is not a part of the concept of natural selection?

A)There are limited resources for which individuals compete.
B)Modifications acquired by an organism during its lifetime are passed on to its offspring.
C)Individuals in a population vary in physical characteristics.
D)Variations possessed by individuals are,in part,inherited.

Question 75

Matching Questions
match the subfield of anthropology to one example of its subject matter:

-cultural anthropology

A)reconstructing the behaviors of prehistoric peoples
B)the study of human evolution
C)a study of a people's religious system
D)the history,function,and physiology of language

Question 76

Matching Questions
match the subfield of anthropology to one example of its subject matter:

-physical anthropology

A)reconstructing the behaviors of prehistoric peoples
B)the study of human evolution
C)a study of a people's religious system
D)the history,function,and physiology of language

Question 77

Creationism and Intelligent Design are:

A)scientific explanations of phenomena that do not appear to be affected by natural selection
B)attempts to discredit evolution and replace evolutionary theory by religious-based ideas
C)based upon new discoveries in genetics
D)developed because of growing doubts about the validity of evolution within the scientific community

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true?

A)The earth is 4000 years old.
B)Evolution has never been actually seen occurring.
C)Evolution generates testable predictions.
D)Evolution is not accepted by substantial number of biologists.

Question 79

In contrast to Darwin,contemporary biologists:

A)have seen that evolution can be observed in a shorter period of time than Darwin thought possible
B)no longer believe that natural selection acts on natural populations
C)realize that evolution operates over extremely long time periods

Question 80

The creationist idea that the great complexity found in living organism implies the existence of a creator is called:

A)intelligent design theory
B)God as creator theory
C)the science of design theory
D)creation science