HUMAN EVOLUTION

A new fossil is found, and scientists are debating whether it can be considered a part of the human genus Homo. What piece of evidence would best indicate that the fossil is human?

large jaw bone for muscle attachment
pelvic blades rotated inward
very long arms
thick rib cage

pelvic blades rotated inward

An anthropologist finds a fossil that is 4 million years old. Its pelvis suggests it walked upright. Which species could the specimen belong to?

Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus afarensis
Homo habilis
Homo erectus

Australopithecus afarensis

Consider the timeline of the evolution of human ancestors.
mc008-1.jpg
Which series correctly lists the order of species (from A to E) that belong on the timeline?

A. africanus, A. afarensis, H. erectus, H. habilis, H. sapiens
H. habilis, A. africanus, H. erectus, A. afarensis, H. sapiens
A. afarensis, A. africanus, H. habilis, H. erectus, H. sapiens
H. habilis, H. erectus, A. afarensis, A. africanus, H. sapiens

A. afarensis, A. africanus, H. habilis, H. erectus, H. sapiens

A skull from the genus Homo that dates from approximately 750,000 years ago is discovered. Where would the foramen magnum most likely be located?

at the back of the skull
at the front of the skull
at the bottom of the skull
at the top of the skull

at the bottom of the skull

An anthropologist finds a fossil in Africa that is 100,000 years old. To which species could the specimen belong?

Homo neanderthalensis
Homo habilis
Homo erectus
Homo sapiens

Homo sapiens

The fossil record indicates that the earliest hominids most likely originated on which continent?

Africa
Asia
North America
Europe

Africa

Which statement is supported by the fossil record?

Chimpanzees are ancestors of modern humans.
Neanderthals are the most recent ancestor of modern humans.
Most ancestors of modern humans originated in Europe.
Chimpanzees and modern humans shared a common ancestor.

Chimpanzees and modern humans shared a common ancestor.

Consider the diagram.

mc009-1.jpg

Which statement is supported by the diagram?

Homo erectus was a tool user.
Homo erectus is an ancestor of Homo sapiens.
Some ancestors can be on several branches in the hominids.
Some ancestors of Homo sapiens have not yet been identified.

NOT Homo erectus is an ancestor of Homo sapiens.

In 1998, paleoanthropologist Rick Potts published an article in The Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, a peer-reviewed journal. The article was titled "Environmental Hypotheses of Hominin Evolution." Which statement would discredit Potts’s objectivity if it was included in the article?

I believe the human race is capable of great things.
The data show that the human population is adaptable.
The fossil record suggests huge variations in the human population.
Variation allows for the process of evolution.

MAYBE I believe the human race is capable of great things. NOT The data show that the human population is adaptable. NOT The fossil record suggests huge variations in the human population.

What is the name of the group that consists only of modern humans and their direct ancestors?

hominoids
hominids
primates
humans

hominids

In 1998, paleoanthropologist Rick Potts published an article in The Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, a peer-reviewed journal. The article was titled "Environmental Hypotheses of Hominin Evolution." Which statement about Rick Potts would most increase his authority?

Potts has read hundreds of websites about human evolution.
Potts has been interested in human evolution since a very young age.
Potts is the director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program.
Potts has posted on many blogs about human evolution.

Potts is the director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program

Which best describes the lower body structures of humans and chimpanzees?

The big toes of humans and chimpanzees are enlarged.
The human foot has two arches, but the chimpanzee foot only has one.
Human knees are very mobile, but chimpanzee knees are stabilized by tendons.
The blades of the human pelvis are not rotated inward like those of the chimpanzee.

The human foot has two arches, but the chimpanzee foot only has one.

Which explanation is most likely the reason for the evolution of a larger brain in humans?

The size of the human brain increases the more it is used.
A larger brain allows humans to solve complex problems.
The size of the human brain has changed randomly over time due to mutations.
A large brain increases humans’ ability to fight and survive disease.

A larger brain allows humans to solve complex problems.

Which statement helps explain why humans have a highly developed forebrain and midbrain compared to other primates?

Humans have complex social skills.
Humans have developed tools to aid them in their tasks.
Humans have the ability to communicate.
Humans have the ability for rational thought.

Humans have the ability for rational thought.

Which feature is common to all primates?

large brain relative to body size
upper body weight distributed over pelvis
pelvis rotated inward
two arches in foot

large brain relative to body size

Which adaptation makes bipedalism possible?

opposable digits
large brain
foramen magnum in back of skull
pelvis rotated inward

pelvis rotated inward