Week 7: Evolutionary origins of hominids and ethical and legal implications of human-great ape genome projects

Question 1

_________ provide anatomical evidence and provide clues for behaviours.

Answer 1

Fossils

Question 2

Some of the oldest fossils were found in _______ _______(Rift Valley), which is sometimes called the cradle of human life.

Answer 2

Northern Kenya

Question 2

Hominids fossils date back ____ million years ago.

Answer 2

4.2

Question 3

Primates evolved in tropical and subtropical climates as plant/meat eaters.

Answer 3

plant

Question 3

Primates differentiated into several species of apes around _____ million years ago.

Answer 3

15

Question 4

Fossils provide little/lot of evidence of behaviours?

Answer 4

little

Question 5

____________ ecology involves studying an animal in its natural
environment, and investigating all behaviours that occur in various contexts:
* distribution of food resources and water
* predators and prey
* group size and composition

Answer 5

Behavioural

Question 6

A lot of the behaviour observed in primates is a result of learning rather than genetic and is passed from
generation to generation. True/False

Answer 6

True

Question 7

Under the microscope, _______ molars indicate harder food consumption (seeds, nuts, bones).

Answer 7

pitted

Question 8

A molar tooth with very scratched shearing facet, it was used to shear ______ or ______.

Answer 8

leaves or meat

Question 9

Early tools have been dated to ______ million years ago.

Answer 9

2.5

Question 10

Evidence of early Homo moving to parts of Asia dates back to _____ million years ago.

Answer 10

2

Question 10

Molars with pitted and scratched shearing facet indicate _______ diet.

Answer 10

mixed

Question 11

Homo _________ (‘handy human’) fossils showing first signs of tools and language are dated at 2.4 - 1.5 million years ag.

Answer 11

habilis

Question 11

The size of the hominid brain has increased from about _____ cc. to _______cc. during the last 2 to 3
million years.

Answer 11

500 - 1500

Question 12

Increased brain size has occurred at once or several times in hominid evolution?

Answer 12

Several times

(big
environmental or ecological changes resulted in new
adaptations and extreme survival pressure)

Question 13

Homo _______ (‘upright human’) fossils are dated at 1.8 million - 300,000 years ago:

Answer 13

erectus
(more sophisticated tools and larger brains)

Question 14

Were the early scavengers or hunters?

Answer 14

scavengers

Question 15

Defining characteristic of hominids, standing or walking on two legs is called _________.

Answer 15

Bipedalism

Question 16

Fist evidence of bipedalism (early footprints) was found at __________ and date to
3.56 million years ago

Answer 16

Laetoli

Question 17

Name three bipedal hypothesis:

Answer 17

1. postural feeding
2. behavioural
3. thermoregulatory

Question 18

The most supported bipedal hypothesis is _____ ________.

Answer 18

postural feeding

Question 19

Hypothesis proposed by Hunt suggests the use of specialised posture during feeding and led to habitual bipedalism.

Answer 19

postural feeding

Question 20

Proposed by Lovejoy, ____________ hypothesis evolved as a result of differentially successful survival from carrying food to share with group members.

Answer 20

behavioural

Question 21

According by Wheeler, __________ hypothesis, bipedalism evolved from standing up which helped dissipate heat and reduces heat gain.

Answer 21

thermoregulatory

Question 22

The least supported bipedal hypothesis is _________.

Answer 22

thermoregulatory

Question 23

Behaviour can evolve and change, and influence survival. True/False

Answer 23

True

Question 24

Lorenz (1965) suggests that adaptive change
in behaviour can occur through the action of two processes, _______ and ________.

Answer 24

ontogeny and phylogeny

Question 25

Change that is governed by principles of evolution by natural selection (Charles Darwin) and
takes place across generations within a species?

Answer 25

Phylogeny

Question 26

Change in behaviour within the lifetime due to maturation and learning?

Answer 26

Ontogeny

Question 27

THE CHIMPANZEE GENOME PROJECT

SAARTJIE (SARAH) BAARTMAN: AN AFRICAN WOMAN WHO WAS CAGED, PART OF A
TRAVELLING CIRCUS & SCIENTIFIC ‘CURIOSITY’

OTA BENGA: AN AFRICAN MAN HOUSED AT BRONX ZOO IN THE ‘MONKEY HOUSE’

ETHICAL OBLICATIONS TO CHIMPANZEES & OTHER GREAT APES

Question 28

____________ are our closest living relatives.

Answer 28

Chimpanzees

Question 28

Evidence of human phylogeny comes from three main areas:

Answer 28

1. fossils (evidence of humans with chimp like head)
2. behavioural studies (chimps and humans share many common behaviours)
3. DNA (chimps DNA is less than 2% different from human)