CHAPTER 01: What Is Physical Anthropology?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	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.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Remembering		

	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.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Explain the differences and similarities among the four branches of anthropology
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the differences and similarities among the four branches of anthropology
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Identify several different research areas in physical anthropology	
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Remembering		

	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.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify several different research areas in physical anthropology	
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Remembering		

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

ANS:	D	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the differences and similarities among the four branches of anthropology
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Remembering		

	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.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify the six major attributes that separate humans from animals
TOP:	What is so different about humans from other animals?	MSC:	Remembering

	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	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Identify the six major attributes that separate humans from animals
TOP:	What is so different about humans from other animals?	MSC:	Remembering

	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	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the importance of the six major attributes that distinguish humans from animals
TOP:	What is so different about humans from other animals?	MSC:	Understanding

	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.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the differences and similarities among the four branches of anthropology
TOP:	The four branches of anthropology	MSC:	Remembering		

	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	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the differences and similarities among the four branches of anthropology
TOP:	The four branches of anthropology	MSC:	Analyzing

	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.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the four steps involved in “doing science” (i.e., the scientific method)
TOP:	How do we know what we know?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	OBJ:	Distinguish between hypotheses and theories
TOP:	How do we know what we know?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	OBJ:	Distinguish between hypotheses and theories
TOP:	How do we know what we know?	MSC:	Remembering		

	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.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	What is anthropology?	MSC:	Analyzing

	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.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the importance of the six major attributes that distinguish humans from animals
TOP:	What is so different about humans from other animals?	MSC:	Understanding

	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.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Easy	OBJ:	Distinguish between hypotheses and theories
TOP:	How do we know what we know?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify several different research areas in physical anthropology	
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify several different research areas in physical anthropology	
TOP:	Anthropology matters		MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Remembering		

	23.	In the context of physical anthropology, a disadvantaged social environment includes one:
a.	with minimal access to technology.	
b.	with no transportation system.	
c.	with poor-quality nutrition.	
d.	where most people do not know how to read.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Analyzing

	24.	The results of a disadvantaged social environment include:
a.	poor health, reduced height, and shortened life expectancy.	
b.	poor speech and excessive eating habits.	
c.	poor reading comprehension.	
d.	an inability to think critically and develop long-term planning.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Analyzing

	25.	The study of physical anthropology varies in that some physical anthropologists study:
a.	potential for life on other planets.	
b.	the interaction between domestic animals and disease.	
c.	extinct and living species of primates.	
d.	changes in marine life.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify several different research areas in physical anthropology	
TOP:	What is physical anthropology?	MSC:	Analyzing

	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	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Identify the six major attributes that separate humans from animals
TOP:	What is so different about humans from other animals?	MSC:	Remembering

	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.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Characterize the importance of the biocultural approach to anthropological inquiry
TOP:	Answering the big questions	MSC:	Understanding		

	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.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the differences and similarities among the four branches of anthropology
TOP:	Answering the big questions	MSC:	Remembering		

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

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Explain the differences and similarities among the four branches of anthropology
TOP:	Answering the big questions	MSC:	Remembering		

	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.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify the six major attributes that separate humans from animals
TOP:	Answering the big questions	MSC:	Understanding		

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

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify the six major attributes that separate humans from animals
TOP:	The six big events of human evolution		MSC:	Remembering

ESSAY

	1.	Discuss the difference between a hypothesis and a theory. Why is the distinction important?

ANS:	
A theory is an explanation that has been confirmed through careful examination and testing of evidence. Hypotheses explain observations, but they have not been tested.
The distinction is important, since a hypothesis that becomes a theory has been tested via the scientific method and has thereby been through rigorous controls. A hypothesis has not been tested and will remain a hypothesis until it has been tested. To confuse the two is a great error, because one implies rigor while the other is only a basic explanation with no substance to it.

DIF:	Moderate	OBJ:	Distinguish between hypotheses and theories
TOP:	How we know what we know: the scientific method	MSC:	Evaluating

	2.	Discuss the steps of the scientific method.

ANS:	
The scientific method includes an observation, development of a hypothesis, experimentation, data collection, and conclusions. Data are used to test hypotheses, possible explanations for the processes under study, by observing and then rejecting or accepting the hypotheses. After observations are collected, scientists develop a theory, which is an explanation, not just a description, of phenomena.

DIF:	Moderate	OBJ:	Explain the steps involved in “doing science” (i.e., the scientific method)
TOP:	How we know what we know: the scientific method	MSC:	Analyzing

	3.	Provide an imaginary example of the proper use of the scientific method.

ANS:	
This answer should include only examples of what can be tested. The student’s response should include each step of the scientific method along with a fictional conclusion. This question may even be used on the first day of class as an icebreaker of sorts after a thorough lecture on the scientific method.

DIF:	Difficult	OBJ:	Explain the steps involved in “doing science” (i.e., the scientific method)
TOP:	How we know what we know: the scientific method	MSC:	Creating

	4.	Discuss the value of the scientific method in our society.

ANS:	
The response should include discussions of pharmaceutical and medical testing. The student should comprehend the value of testing and retesting data. For example, do immunization shots administered all at once increase the child’s likelihood to develop autism? The answer, we know, is that they do not; however, previous doctored data were used to claim that they do, causing millions of parents all over the world to reduce inoculations or completely neglect them, thereby increasing the incidence of disease—for example, the number of whooping cough cases in the United States.

DIF:	Difficult	
OBJ:	Explain the four steps involved in “doing science” (i.e., the scientific method)
TOP:	How we know what we know: the scientific method	MSC:	Evaluating

	5.	Discuss the six key attributes that make humans unique relative to other species.

ANS:	
The six distinguishing features of humanity are bipedalism, nonhoning chewing, complex material culture and tool use, hunting, speech, and dependence on domesticated food. The commitment to walking on two legs is usually considered the most profound physical difference between humans and other primates. After bipedalism, according to the fossil record, the large honing canine tooth was lost as a result of the ability to make and use tools for processing food. Culture, pervasive for humans, is defined in the text as learned behavior, transmitted from person to person, that facilitates survival through adaptation to varied settings. Material culture is the part of culture that is expressed as objects that humans use to manipulate our environment. The archaeological record of past cultures’ material remains goes back to the simple rock tools that date from 2.5 mya. Humans require some form of technology to regulate temperature, acquire food, and so on in our varied environments. Some chimpanzees and other primates have simple material culture and even nonmaterial culture. Humans’ other key attributes—hunting, speech, and dependence on domesticated foods—appeared much later in human evolution. Hunting refers to cooperative hunting, which likely emerged 1 million or more years ago. Speech is very distinctive of humans but difficult to pinpoint in the fossil record. Domestication of foods is the most recently developed unique human behavior, usually traced to 10,000 years ago. Increasing dependence on culture for survival makes us quite distinct among species and necessitates a biocultural approach to both human origins and human behavior.

DIF:	Difficult	OBJ:	Identify the six major attributes that separate humans from animals
TOP:	What is so different about humans from other animals?	MSC:	Analyzing