ACS Test 1 Flashcards

1
Q

How have discoveries by archaeologists and anthropologists in the past 100 years changed what we know about the origins of humanity?

A

Discoveries by archaeologists and anthropologists in the past 100 years have changed what we know about the origins of humanity in several ways. One instance was Mary Leakey’s discovery of prehistoric foot steps, giving evidence of the first case of bipedalism and discovering the Upright Man (Homo erectus). Another example would be Donald Johansen’s discovery of the First Family, giving evidence that the ancient humans lived in groups. All of these discoveries enhance our modern understanding of the origins of humanity.

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2
Q

Explain the Out of Africa Theory and what evidence is there to support it?

A

The Out of Africa theory is a theory that suggests that all modern humans originally came from Africa before emigrating to other parts of the world. Some evidence that supports the “Out of Africa” model of human evolution is DNA evidence. This is evidence that traces every living person on Earth back to a woman in Africa who lived 200,000 years ago. She is referred to as Mitochondrial Eve. This means that if every person alive is related to her, people must have originated in Africa.

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3
Q

How did the discovery of Lucy by Donald Johanson change our knowledge of human evolution?

A

David Johanson’s discovery of Lucy changed our knowledge of human evolution by giving us evidence of when humans started to live in groups, which is an important part of human evolution. This is because when the skeleton of Lucy was discovered, there were 13 skeletons, suggesting that they had been living together. This gave them the name “The First Family”.

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4
Q

Discuss the importance and impact of Griots in African culture and society

A

A Griot would have been so important to African Culture because they kept traditions alive. This was very important because most people couldn’t read the content for themselves, so a Griot to tell the stories was integral. In West African society, their role is to keep the facts and pass this information on to future generations. Along with passing on knowledge through stories, they also played the role of advisers, mediators and negotiators for certain people.

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5
Q

What is White Privilege? How has this impacted others (2 ways) and what can you do to make more people aware?

A

White Privilege is unearned advantages/privileges granted to someone purely because they’re white. My white privilege means that I can do things like take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race or do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race while other people who aren’t white might not be able to. To make people more aware, as a white person, I can use my privileges to achieve this goal by calling out and recognizing the advantages I’ve been given through no work of my own and also recognizing that these systems need to change.

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6
Q

What does Ethnocentrism mean? How has ethnocentrism (especially Eurocentrism) affected what we know about African countries and culture?

A

Ethnocentrism is the belief that your ethnicity/culture is superior or more important than other cultures. Ethnocentrism and eurocentrism have affected what we know about African countries and cultures because African history and culture may have been mostly ignored or disregarded because we believed our culture was more important and that we didn’t need to know anything about other cultures. However, we also believed that they needed to know our culture, hence where the eurocentrism came from.

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7
Q

Archaeologist

A

A person who studies human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and analysis of physical remains.

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8
Q

Anthropologist

A

A person who studies human beings, especially their societies and customs.

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9
Q

Hominids

A

A species that includes the human family.

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10
Q

Radiocarbon Dating

A

The determination of the approximate age of an ancient object, such as a fossil, by measuring the amount of carbon 14 it contains.

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11
Q

Palaeoanthropology

A

The study of the origins of humankind.

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12
Q

Olduvai Gorge

A

The Olduvai Gorge is a location where many significant fossil remains of early humans have been found.

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13
Q

Donald Johanson

A

Donald Johanson is an American paleoanthropologist who discovered Lucy and the “First Family”.

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14
Q

Lucy

A

Lucy is the oldest and most complete human ancestor found in Africa. She was discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia.

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15
Q

First Family

A

The First Family is the remains of 13 people. They are the first evidence that people lived in groups, found 3.2 million years ago.

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16
Q

Cradle of Humanity

A

The Cradle of Humanity is a paleoanthropological site that is known to have the greatest amount of human ancestral remains of anywhere in the world. It’s also a World Heritage Site.

17
Q

Homo habilis

A

The first species of humans, known as the “Handy Man”. They lived between 2.1-1.5 million years ago. They were omnivores.

18
Q

Homo erectus

A

The second species of humans, known as the “Upright Man”. They lived between 1.8 million - 300,000 years ago. They were carnivores.

19
Q

Homo sapiens

A

The only surviving human species, known as the “Wise Man”. They emerged 300,000 years ago in Africa and are still surviving today. They are omnivores.

20
Q

Mary & Louis Leakey

A

Mary and Louis Leakey are archeologists and anthropologists who are responsible for most of what we know about the first human species/homo habilis.

21
Q

Bipedalism

A

The process of walking upright on two legs, a major milestone in human evolution.

22
Q

Out of Africa theory

A

The Out of Africa theory is the most widely-accepted theory on the origin of humankind. It states that modern humankind evolved from a single population of Homo sapiens living in Africa 140,000 to 200,000 years ago. Beginning around 100,000 years ago, Homo sapiens sapiens gradually spread around the globe in the first African diaspora.

23
Q

Diaspora

A

A group of people who are dispersed around the world.

24
Q

Lineage

A

Line of descent; family or descendants.

25
Q

Mitochondrial Eve

A

Mitochondrial Eve is the 10,000 great-grandmother of everyone on Earth. Her lineage has survived through the ages.

26
Q

Homo sapiens sapiens

A

Homo sapiens sapiens in a subspecies of homo sapiens, also known as modern man.

27
Q

Why is Africa called the cradle of humankind?

A

Scientific evidence proves that life began in Africa.

28
Q

Describe the importance of Leakey’s discovery in 1959.

A

They found skull fragments that were 1.75 million years old. This was the first evidence that the human species laid its roots in Africa.

29
Q

What did Mary and Jonathan Leakey discover in 1960?

A

They discovered the remains of homo habilus, the first species to use tools.

30
Q

Define paleoanthropology.

A

The study of the origins of humankind.

31
Q

Why was Donald Johanson’s discovery in 1974 so important?

A

Donald Johanson discovered the fossil remains of Lucy, dating back to 3.2 million years, as well as 3 other people. It was the first evidence that people lived together in groups.

32
Q

What did Mary Leakey discover in 1978? Why was it important?

A

A trail of hominid footprints about 3.6 million years old. these tracks provide some of the oldest evidence of bipedalism.

33
Q

What did some researchers conclude about Homo habilus?

A

Some researchers concluded they made tools and weapons and ate and slept along the water. Others concluded that Homo habilus were scavengers and did not sleep on the ground.

34
Q

Describe Homo erectus.

A

Taller and more robust than Homo habilus. He has a larger brain and designed sophisticate tools. They were meat eaters and built shelters. They learned how to make fire.