Anth 375 Paleoanthropology: Human Origins and Evolution
Dr. Darlene Applegate
Fall 2004
Answers to Practice Questions for Midterm Exam 1

1.    Paleoanthropology

a. is concerned with human origins and human evolution.
b. is most closely related to physical anthropology and archaeology within the discipline of anthropology.
c. is concerned with macroevolutionary and megaevolutionary change.
d. primarily uses fossil evidence but also incorporates genetic evidence, comparative anatomy, primate analogy, and hunter-gatherer analogy.
e. All of these are correct.
2.    The best traits to use in phylogenetic reconstructions are
a. homologous traits.
b. analogous traits.
c. convergences.
d. parallelisms.
e. geomorphs.
3.    When evaluating fossil evidence of human origins and evolution, we should
a. use authentic specimens that are as complete as possible.
b. use subadult specimens.
c. equally weight all traits.
d. compare different morphological traits among species.
e. use the same traits over the entire course of evolutionary change.
4.    What type of evidence is used in evolutionary studies to measure the degree of relatedness between existing species, create phylogenies, and estimate divergence dates of species?
a. fossils
b. comparative anatomy and morphology
c. molecular biology and genetics
d. primate analogy
e. hunter-gatherer analogy
5.    A likely ancestor of living Old World monkeys is
a. Altiatlasius sp.
b. Algeripithecus sp.
c. Proconsul sp.
d. Aegyptopithecus sp.
e. Sivapithecus sp.
6.     Which of the following post-cranial traits would be least helpful in identifying hominids in the fossil record?
a. shape of femur
b. shape of ilium
c. shape of vertebral column
d. presence/absence of external tail
e. size and shape of big toe.
7.    True or False:  The immediate ancestor to primates was probably a nocturnal insectivore.

8.    True or False:  The development of new species requires isolation, which can be geographic, reproductive, or morphologic ecological.

9.    True or False:    Compared to prosimians, anthropoids have fused mandibular symphyses and fused frontal bones.

10.     True or False:    Omomyids are probably ancestral to living tarsiers, while adapids are probably ancestral to living lemurs and lorises.

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