In detail questions used to supplement and test your knowledge of human evolution: true or false, fill in the blanks, short answer and long answer questions.
1. True or false
a. Prognathism, bipedalism and acheulian tools are all part of the fossil record
evidence. False – tools is part of acheulian evidence.
b. The y chromosome undergoes no crossing over. True
c. Only 0.1% of DNA is different between any two people. True – humans share
99.9% of DNA.
d. A chin is only present in homo. True
e. mtDNA comes from both parents. False
f. Speech only became possible due to increase in brain size and lobes. True
g. Ardipithecus, hominids ancestors, could climb trees well AND walk on two legs.
True
h. All living hominids lack a external tails. True
i. A short and broad pelvis is evidence for quadrupedalism. False
j. Only some hominids have freely rotating arms and opposable thumbs. False – all
do.
k. A disadvantage of bipedalism is that it reduces the risk of overheating and so the
hominid is at risk of hypothermia. False – an advantage, the hypothermia part is
nonsense!
l. Y chromosome DNA only carried in males. True
m. Homo sediba is a candidate for earliest homo species. False – it is naledi.
n. Living hominids include apes and humans. True
o. Homo sapiens used fire first. True
p. A bigger brain allows for less information to be processed and so increased rate
of mortality in the species. False – more information processed!
2. Fill in the blanks
a. Primates share a _________ portion of their DNA, which composes a part of the
genetic evidence for common ancestors in primates. Large
b. A comparison of chromosomal DNA of living hominids can distinguish how
closely _______ they are. Related.
c. Feet of hominids adapted for bipedalism in. that they have a pronounced _____
to distribute weight more equally, and no __________ big toe. Arch, opposable.
d. The two types of genetic evidence of common ancestry and _______________
and ______________ DNA. Mitochondrial, chromosomal.
e. The larger the skull, the ____________the brain of the species and the more
___________ the species. Larger, recent.
f. Ardipithecus showed characteristics of both apes and Australopithecus therefore
it is a _________ form. Transitional
g. Spears, arrows and darts are included in the _____________ tools. Mousterian.
h. Choppers, flakes and scrapers are included in the _______ tools. Oldewan.
i. People from _____ are the oldest humans. Africa
j. Humans have ___ premolars while apes only have ___ premolars. 2,3
, k. The three types of tools found indicating evidence of common ancestry are
____________, ____________ and ___________. Mousterian, acheulian and
Oldowan.
l. Chromosomal DNA favors and supports the _________ hypothesis of human
dispersal around the globe. Out of Africa (lack of variation indicates we came
from a small homo sapiens population)
m. Homo species have a ______ face with a ________ palate and ______ pelvis.
Flat, widely curved/U shaped, short/wide.
n. The fossil Lucy was found in _________ and is an example of the hominid
_____________. Ethiopia, Australopithecus afarensis.
o. The less variation between two organisms, the more/less recent the divergence
or separation occurred due to more/less time for mutations to develop. Less,
less.
p. A gorilla’s brain is larger/smaller than the brain of Homo Erectus. Smaller
3. Give the three main genera of hominids.
Ardipithecus, Australopithecus and homo.
4.
a. Why are lakes often rich in fossils for example the Great Rift Valley in East
Africa?
The water source attracted many organisms for water and many died near or around
these areas.
b. Give another example of a lake rich in fossils.
Lake turkana in kenya
5. How can male and female ancestral descent be tracked back to a common ancestor?
Male: using Y chromosome DNA
Female: using mtDNA
6. Give two theories on how homo sapiens spread out throughout the world from
Africa?
The out of Africa hypothesis and the multiregional hypothesis.
7. Provide a term for the following.
a. When an organism can stand and walk on their two hind legs. Bipedalism
b. The process of change that takes place of millions of years and is difficult to
observe. Evolution
c. An insecticide used to control insects which has induced resistance in certain
insects by natural selection . DDT
d. The gap between upper canines and incisors, so that the canine on the bottom of
the jaw can fit snugly. Diastema
e. The more distant hominid genera. Ardipithecus.
f. This homo species is a disputed ancestor of homo sapiens and homo
neanderthalensis found in Europe. Homo erectus
g. The phenomenon whereby the males of a species are all larger than, or have
clear differences to, females. Sexual dimorphism.
8. Give and explain some indications of cultural evolution other than tools.
Cooperative hunting: need to communicate and work together.
Fire: provided warmth, need to teach others how to build one, provided more
permanent dwelling sites, conversation, forward thinking to prevent the fire for
dying. Allowed for migration into colder climates.
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