Chapter 1 and 2 Test

Question 1

1. Before AD 1000, what did the people of St. Catherines Island eat?
   a.
   They ate wild animals, fish, and wild plants.
   b.
   They ate bison and salmon.
   c.
   They were vegetarians and ate wild plants exclusively.
   d.
   They ate mostly fruit.

Answer 1

a.

They ate wild animals, fish, and wild plants.

Question 2

2. What was the cause of the biological change in the indigenous people of St. Catherines Island after AD 1000?
   a.
   They became sedentary and had less food to eat because they stayed in the same area.
   b.
   They became sedentary and consumed more corn, which caused dental disease due to its high sugar content.
   c.
   They became sedentary and did not have enough exercise to keep their bodies fit and healthy.
   d.
   They continued as nomads, but loss of animals due to climate change created a decline in their food source.

Answer 2

b.

They became sedentary and consumed more corn, which caused dental disease due to its high sugar content.

Question 3

3. What can be learned from studying a population through time?
   a.
   We can learn that lifestyles do not change over time.
   b.
   We can learn that diets, and therefore human biology, change through time.
   c.
   We can learn that consuming the wrong foods over time does little to population health.
   d.
   We can learn that human physiology does not change through time.

Answer 3

b.

We can learn that diets, and therefore human biology, change through time.

Question 4

4. Physical anthropologists seek to study:
   a.
   humans from a cultural perspective.
   b.
   humans from a biological perspective only.
   c.
   humans from a biological and cultural perspective.
   d.
   human behavior only.

Answer 4

c. humans from a biological and cultural perspective.

Question 5

5. Physical anthropologists view how humans come to be the way they are as the result of:
   a.
   their biological makeups, which primarily define who they are.
   b.
   both evolutionary history and their own individual life histories.
   c.
   what their genes make them; environment has very little effect.
   d.
   their environment; genes have very little effect.

Answer 5

b.

both evolutionary history and their own individual life histories.

Question 6

6. Physical anthropologists:
   a.
   travel around the world to investigate human populations.
   b.
   study living populations.
   c.
   study primates like lemurs, monkeys, and apes.
   d.
   travel around the world to investigate human populations; study living populations, and study primates like lemurs, monkeys, and apes.

Answer 6

d.
travel around the world to investigate human populations; study living populations, and study primates like lemurs, monkeys, and apes.

Question 7

7.	Primates are:
a.
a group of mammals that share traits like forward-facing eyes, fingernails, and large brains.
b.
often species with a long snout.
c.
diverse species that live in various types of environments.
d.
both a. and c.

Answer 7

d.

both a. and c.

Question 8

8.	Physical anthropologists study what type of science?
a.
astrological
c.
social
b.
biological
d.
biological and social

Answer 8

d.

biological and social

Question 9

9.	Bipedalism in primates means:
a.
walking on two feet.
c.
walking using two legs and a tail.
b.
walking on four feet.
d.
swinging from branch to branch.

Answer 9

a.

walking on two feet.

Question 10

10. What are three key attributes related to human uniqueness?
    a.
    eating, sleeping, and watching television
    b.
    increased hunting, speech, and dependence on domesticated food
    c.
    hunting, avoiding predators, and tool making
    d.
    sleeping, hunting, and making clothing

Answer 10

b.

increased hunting, speech, and dependence on domesticated food

Question 11

11.	What makes it possible for humans to accumulate an amazing amount of information over long periods of time?
a.
social learning
c.
social media
b.
television
d.
mimicry

Answer 11

a.

social learning

Question 12

12. Archaeologists:
    a.
    study primate evolution.
    b.
    devote most of their effort to recovering artifacts and building museum collections.
    c.
    study past human societies, focusing mostly on their material remains.
    d.
    primarily study the evolution of language.

Answer 12

c.

study past human societies, focusing mostly on their material remains.

Question 13

13. An archaeological field school is announced in your anthropology course. The description says that you will travel to Belize to learn about the lives of the ancient Mayans. What, primarily, do you expect to learn during this field school?
    a.
    what species of nonhuman primate occupies this region
    b.
    how current populations of immigrants have changed local dialects
    c.
    how to excavate and study material culture
    d.
    how to socially navigate life in a Central American setting

Answer 13

c.

how to excavate and study material culture

Question 14

14. The scientific method:
    a.
    relies on making hunches about the natural world.
    b.
    involves empirical data collection and hypothesis testing.
    c.
    is used to support preconceived notions or theories.
    d.
    seeks to establish the absolute scientific truth.

Answer 14

b.

involves empirical data collection and hypothesis testing.

Question 15

15. A hypothesis is:
    a.
    another word for a theory.
    b.
    a testable statement that potentially explains specific phenomena observed in the natural world.
    c.
    a statement concerning scientific facts assumed to be true.
    d.
    unable to be refuted by future investigations.

Answer 15

b.

a testable statement that potentially explains specific phenomena observed in the natural world.

Question 16

16. The hypothesis that the origin of human bipedalism was linked to a shift from life in the trees to life on the ground in the grasslands of Africa:
    a.
    has been upheld by subsequent scientific data on human origins.
    b.
    was developed in consultation with genetic and fossil evidence.
    c.
    has been rejected recently subsequent to new fossil evidence.
    d.
    has become a scientific law.

Answer 16

c.

has been rejected recently subsequent to new fossil evidence.

Question 17

17. How is biocultural anthropology different from cultural anthropology?
    a.
    Biocultural anthropology combines cultural studies with archaeology.
    b.
    Biocultural anthropology studies the interrelationship between what humans have inherited genetically and culture; cultural anthropology studies diverse cultures and societies.
    c.
    It is strictly a biological science.
    d.
    It considers culture to be a by-product of our biological histories.

Answer 17

b.
Biocultural anthropology studies the interrelationship between what humans have inherited genetically and culture; cultural anthropology studies diverse cultures and societies.

Question 18

18. Bipedalism is considered one of the hallmarks of hominid evolution because it:
    a.
    was the first evolutionary development that distinguished humans from other animals.
    b.
    was possible only after the advent of simple material culture.
    c.
    followed brain expansion in human evolution.
    d.
    allowed hominids to come out of the trees and make tools 10 mya.

Answer 18

a.

was the first evolutionary development that distinguished humans from other animals.

Question 19

19. How is a theory different from a hypothesis?
    a.
    A hypothesis explains observations and cannot be refuted by new evidence.
    b.
    A theory is an explanation based upon controversial facts.
    c.
    A theory is an explanation that has been carefully examined and tested.
    d.
    A theory has been less thoroughly tested than a hypothesis.

Answer 19

c.

A theory is an explanation that has been carefully examined and tested.

Question 20

20.	Physical anthropology as a discipline is NOT concerned with:
a.
skeletal pathology.
b.
primate behavior.
c.
the construction and use of language by human societies.
d.
human evolution.

Answer 20

c.

the construction and use of language by human societies.

Question 21

21. Forensic anthropologists:
    a.
    focus their work on skeletal analysis of individuals.
    b.
    study skeletal remains from past human populations.
    c.
    study the evolution of human skeletal traits.
    d.
    do not work outside academia.

Answer 21

a.

focus their work on skeletal analysis of individuals.

Question 22

22.	Just before the arrival of the Spanish on St. Catherines Island, people there:
a.
were primarily fishermen.
c.
became the first farmers of the region.
b.
had adopted maize agriculture.
d.
were vegetarians by choice.

Answer 22

a.

were primarily fishermen.

Question 23

26.	What makes us human?
a.
physiology, culture, and planning
c.
physiology, behavior, and religion
b.
biology, culture, and religion
d.
biology, culture, and behavior

Answer 23

d.

biology, culture, and behavior

Question 24

27.	Anthropology views humans as:
a.
primates and religious beings.
c.
biological and cultural beings.
b.
primates, religious, and cultural beings.
d.
cultural and religious beings.

Answer 24

c.

biological and cultural beings.

Question 25

28. The four branches of anthropology are:
    a.
    archaeological, geological, geographical, and biological.
    b.
    physical, biological, cultural, and linguistic.
    c.
    cultural, linguistic, geological, and physical.
    d.
    physical, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic.

Answer 25

d. physical, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic.

Question 26

29.	Which is the study of evolution and variation in humans?
a.
physical anthropology
c.
linguistic anthropology
b.
archaeology
d.
cultural anthropology

Answer 26

a.

physical anthropology

Question 27

30. To increase early humans’ chances of hunting success, hunting:
    a.
    was led by females.
    b.
    was conducted with lithic tools and cooperative strategies.
    c.
    was always well planned with a diagram.
    d.
    strategies were developed to include children as bait.

Answer 27

b. was conducted with lithic tools and cooperative strategies.

Question 28

31.	Human production of stone or lithic tools is an example of:
a.
linguistic comprehension.
c.
material culture.
b.
subsistence strategies.
d.
ideology.

Answer 28

c.

material culture.

Question 29

31.	Human production of stone or lithic tools is an example of:
a.
linguistic comprehension.
c.
material culture.
b.
subsistence strategies.
d.
ideology.

Answer 29

c.

material culture.

Question 30

1. Adaptive radiation occurs when:
   a.
   one species gives rise to multiple closely related species.
   b.
   several species adapt to one environment.
   c.
   species adapt to environments with high radiation levels.
   d.
   an individual adapts to varying environments.

Answer 30

a. one species gives rise to multiple closely related species.

Question 31

2. Charles Darwin’s bookOn the Origin of Species(1859) was considered an important contribution to modern science because it:
   a.
   coined the concept of evolution.
   b.
   synthesized information from diverse scientific fields in order to document evolutionary change.
   c.
   was immediately and widely accepted by the scientific community as the mechanism for evolutionary change.
   d.
   proposed the use of the scientific method for the first time.

Answer 31

b. synthesized information from diverse scientific fields in order to document evolutionary change.

Question 32

3. Uniformitarianism is the theory that:
   a.
   the earth is very old, based on geologic evidence from stratigraphic layers in Scotland.
   b.
   the natural processes operating today are the same as the natural processes that operated in the past.
   c.
   the uniformity of species is derived from the common ancestor of all species.
   d.
   processes such as earthquakes are evidence supporting catastrophism as proposed by Lamarck.

Answer 32

b. the natural processes operating today are the same as the natural processes that operated in the past.

Question 33

4. Why is the work of Alfred Russell Wallace considered when discussing the theory of evolution?
   a.
   He was an English naturalist who had arrived at many of the same conclusions as Darwin through his own research.
   b.
   His work is not considered, as he was mistakenly credited with the theory of natural selection.
   c.
   He was a British dog breeder who worked on artificial selection experiments in the same way Mendel worked on sweet peas to determine inheritance.
   d.
   He was the most prominent scientist of the time who opposed Darwin’s work on evolution.

Answer 33

a. He was an English naturalist who had arrived at many of the same conclusions as Darwin through his own research.

Question 34

5. The relevance of the theory of uniformitarianism is that it:
   a.
   supports the theory of catastrophism.
   b.
   proves that changes to the earth were caused by cataclysmic events like earthquakes and floods.
   c.
   allowed the understanding of evidence of change in the geological past by understanding what we see in the present day.
   d.
   demonstrates that the earth is 4.4 billion years old, based on geologic evidence from stratigraphic layers.

Answer 34

c.

allowed the understanding of evidence of change in the geological past by understanding what we see in the present day.

Question 35

6. Thomas Malthus’s contribution to natural selection is the:
   a.
   binomial taxonomic system of naming species.
   b.
   theory that the earth’s old age is based on geologic evidence resulting from cataclysmic events.
   c.
   observation that an abundance of food would allow a population to increase geometrically and indefinitely, but there simply is not enough food, so populations are limited by food supply.
   d.
   theory that environmental resources increase to population pressures.

Answer 35

c.
observation that an abundance of food would allow a population to increase geometrically and indefinitely, but there simply is not enough food, so populations are limited by food supply.

Question 36

7. Darwinian evolution proposes that:
   a.
   species adapt and change over time based on the environment.
   b.
   an individual can change within its own lifetime.
   c.
   species adapt based on individual goals.
   d.
   individuals determine their own biological adaptations.

Answer 36

a.

species adapt and change over time based on the environment.

Question 37

8.	James Hutton is associated primarily with:
a.
adaptation.
c.
uniformitarianism.
b.
catastrophism.
d.
principles of heredity.

Answer 37

c.

uniformitarianism.

Question 38

9. Darwin drew on information from the following five scientific disciplines:
   a.
   geology, physical anthropology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and evolutionary biology.
   b.
   geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, geography, and evolutionary biology.
   c.
   geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and biology.
   d.
   geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and evolutionary biology.

Answer 38

c.

geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and biology.

Question 39

10.	According to Darwin, natural selection operates at the level of:
a.
individuals.
c.
populations.
b.
genes.
d.
species.

Answer 39

a.

individuals.

Question 40

11.	The English demographer whose work on population growth greatly influenced Darwin’s thinking on population adaptation was:
a.
Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck.
c.
Thomas Malthus.
b.
Georges Cuvier.
d.
Charles Lyell.

Answer 40

c.

Thomas Malthus.

Question 41

12. How was Darwin influenced by Thomas Malthus’s work on population growth?
    a.
    Darwin was interested in Malthus’s examination of population changes in pea plants.
    b.
    Darwin was influenced by Malthus’s work on demography and population responses to food availability.
    c.
    Darwin liked the concept of Latin taxonomic classification as it pertained to human groups.
    d.
    Darwin was greatly influenced by research on acquired characteristics.

Answer 41

b. Darwin was influenced by Malthus’s work on demography and population responses to food availability.

Question 42

13. How did Lamarck contribute to the theory of evolution?
    a.
    He discovered genetic mutation through experiments with pea plants.
    b.
    He proposed the concept of natural selection after his voyage to the Galapagos Islands and his study of finches.
    c.
    He proposed the first serious model of how traits are passed on from parent to offspring through inheritance of acquired characteristics, though that idea turned out to be incorrect.
    d.
    He proposed a concept known today as gene flow.

Answer 42

c.
He proposed the first serious model of how traits are passed on from parent to offspring through inheritance of acquired characteristics, though that idea turned out to be incorrect.

Question 43

14.	The English scientist who independently co-discovered the theory of natural selection was:
a.
Charles Lyell.
c.
Alfred Russell Wallace.
b.
Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck.
d.
Carolus Linnaeus.

Answer 43

c.

Alfred Russell Wallace.

Question 44

15.	Cuvier, Lamarck, and Erasmus Darwin all shared an idea of evolution; however, their ideas all lacked:
a.
the longevity necessary for evolution to take place.
b.
a basic understanding of inheritance.
c.
an understanding of variation.
d.
a mechanism for evolutionary change.

Answer 44

d.

a mechanism for evolutionary change.

Question 45

16.	The advantageous “attributes” to which Darwin refers are now known as:
a.
traits.
c.
alleles.
b.
genes.
d.
chromosomes.

Answer 45

a.

traits.

Question 46

17. Evolutionary synthesis is:
    a.
    the concept of evolution through natural selection.
    b.
    a unified theory of evolution that combines genetics with natural selection.
    c.
    a combination of the inheritance of acquired characteristics and natural selection.
    d.
    the combination of the theory of evolution and Linnaean taxonomy.

Answer 46

c.

a combination of the inheritance of acquired characteristics and natural selection.

Question 47

18.	Which of the following is NOT a cause of evolution in a population?
a.
inheritance of acquired traits
c.
gene flow
b.
mutation
d.
genetic drift

Answer 47

a.

inheritance of acquired traits

Question 48

19. The forces of evolution include:
    a.
    gene flow, mutations, chromosomes, and genes.
    b.
    mutations, genes, and genetic drift.
    c.
    natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations.
    d.
    natural selection, genes, alleles, and chromosomes.

Answer 48

c. natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations.

Question 49

20.	Without the work of x-ray crystallographer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, DNA might not have been discovered for some time longer than it was.
a.
James Watson
c.
Thomas Malthus
b.
Francis Crick
d.
Rosalind Franklin

Answer 49

d.

Rosalind Franklin

Question 50

21. Mendel’s plant experiments demonstrated that:
    a.
    traits inherited from each parent blended together in the offspring.
    b.
    DNA was the molecule carrying the genetic code.
    c.
    peas were a poor choice for understanding basic hereditary principles.
    d.
    traits are passed on from parent to offspring as discrete units.

Answer 50

a.

traits inherited from each parent blended together in the offspring.

Question 51

22.	The geneticist who studied the workings of fruit flies’ chromosomes was:
a.
Charles Darwin.
c.
Thomas Hunt Morgan.
b.
Gregor Mendel.
d.
Thomas Huxley.

Answer 51

c. Thomas Hunt Morgan.

Question 52

23.	The scientist who coined the nameHomo sapiensfor human beings and placed them in a higher taxonomic group (primates) was:
a.
Charles Darwin.
c.
Carolus Linnaeus.
b.
Georges Cuvier.
d.
Robert Hooke.

Answer 52

c.

Carolus Linnaeus.

Question 53

24.	The individual genotypes in a breeding population, taken as a whole, are the:
a.
gene pool.
c.
phenotype.
b.
DNA.
d.
polygene.

Answer 53

a.

gene pool.

Question 54

25. Fossils represent the remains of once-living:
    a.
    extant species that tell the story of human origins.
    b.
    extinct organisms that provide a record of the history of life on the planet.
    c.
    plants that provide proof of catastrophism.
    d.
    organisms that demonstrate the age of the earth through the process of uniformitarianism.

Answer 54

b.

extinct organisms that provide a record of the history of life on the planet.

Question 55

26. What were the three key observations made by Darwin that allowed him to deduce that natural selection is a primary driver of evolution?
    a.
    Species change and adapt based on environmental pressure, individuals change within their lifetime, and offspring inherit the changes.
    b.
    Genetic drift, gene flow, and mutations provide the change necessary in populations that affect future generations.
    c.
    Organisms produce more offspring than survive, variation exists among members of populations, and advantageous variations increase in relative frequency over time.
    d.
    The number of adults tends to remain the same over time, individuals vary very little over time, and natural selection works on only the best of those adults in each generation.

Answer 55

c.
Organisms produce more offspring than survive, variation exists among members of populations, and advantageous variations increase in relative frequency over time.

Question 56

27.	The scientist whose work provided the foundation for later understandings of genetics was:
a.
John Ray.
c.
Charles Darwin.
b.
Gregor Mendel.
d.
Robert Hooke.

Answer 56

b.

Gregor Mendel.

Question 57

28. Thomas Hunt Morgan:
    a.
    demonstrated that chromosomes carry genetic material in the form of genes.
    b.
    studied mutations inHomo sapiens.
    c.
    thought change was gradual and occurred over long time periods.
    d.
    proposed the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Answer 57

a.

demonstrated that chromosomes carry genetic material in the form of genes.

Question 58

29.	Darwin observed that adaptations:
a.
resulted from supernatural forces.
b.
did not vary among Galápagos finches living in different habitats.
c.
were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction.
d.
were peripheral to evolutionary change.

Answer 58

c.

were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction.

Question 59

29.	Darwin observed that adaptations:
a.
resulted from supernatural forces.
b.
did not vary among Galápagos finches living in different habitats.
c.
were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction.
d.
were peripheral to evolutionary change.

Answer 59

c.

were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction.

Question 60

30.	In your textbook, the lower frequency of sickle-cell anemia among present-day Americans of West African ancestry as compared to people living in West Africa blacks is attributed to:
a.
genetic drift.
c.
new mutations.
b.
gene flow.
d.
none of the above

Answer 60

a.

genetic drift.

Question 61

31. Why are Darwin’s finches considered good examples of natural selection?
    a.
    They are found on every continent.
    b.
    They originated in North America, according to fossil evidence.
    c.
    They embody the idea of descent with modification.
    d.
    They did not differ between populations.

Answer 61

c.

They embody the idea of descent with modification.

Question 62

32. Linnaeus’s taxonomic system is referred to as a “hierarchy” because:
    a.
    each species has a “higher level” genus and “lower level” species, and are placed within additional higher level categories.
    b.
    species are placed in a ranked list called the “Great Chain of Being.”
    c.
    humans are considered the most evolved species.
    d.
    naming species officially requires approval of an appointed board of high-level experts.

Answer 62

a. each species has a “higher level” genus and “lower level” species, and are placed within additional higher level categories.

Question 63

33. Gene flow differs from genetic drift because it is the:
    a.
    random change in the frequency of alleles.
    b.
    random change in a gene or chromosome.
    c.
    guiding force of evolution.
    d.
    spread of new genetic material from one gene pool to another.

Answer 63

d.

spread of new genetic material from one gene pool to another.

Question 64

34. What are the classification levels of humans from order to species?
    a.
    Chordata, Mammalia, Haplorhini, Hominoidea,Homo, andsapiens
    b.
    Primates, Haplorhini, Anthropoidea, Catarrhini, Hominoidea, Hominidea, Homininae, Hominine,Homo, andsapiens
    c.
    Primates, Strepsirhini, Catarrhini, Hominoidea, Hominidea,Homo, andsapiens
    d.
    Mammalia, Platyrrhini, Hominioidea, Hominidae,Homo, andsapiens

Answer 64

c.

Primates, Strepsirhini, Catarrhini, Hominoidea, Hominidea,Homo, andsapiens

Question 65

35. James Hutton:
    a.
    extensively studied fossils.
    b.
    revealed that fossils would provide the history of past life.
    c.
    created the first scientific classification of plants and animals.
    d.
    provided geologic evidence necessary for calculating the time span of evolution.

Answer 65

d.

provided geologic evidence necessary for calculating the time span of evolution.