CHAPTER 1: What Is Physical Anthropology?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	1.	Before AD 1000 what did the people of Saint 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 were frugivores.	

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 for the biological change in the indigenous people of Saint 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:
a.	study humans from a cultural perspective.	
b.	study humans from a biological perspective only.	
c.	study humans from a biological and cultural perspective.	
d.	study 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.	The two concepts that best explain physical anthropology are that:
a.	your biological makeup defines who you are and your personality comes from your environment.	
b.	every person is a product of evolutionary history and each of us is the product of our own individual life histories.	
c.	you are what your genes make you and your environment has no effect.	
d.	You are what your environment makes you and your genes have no 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.	all of the above	

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.	both b. and c.	

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 distinguish humans from animals
TOP:	What Is So Different About Humans from Other Animals?		
MSC:	Remembering		

	10.	What are the three key attributes of humanness?
a.	eating, sleeping, and watching television	
b.	hunting, speech, and dependence on domesticated food	
c.	hunting, scavenging, and tool making	
d.	building shelter, hunting, and making clothing	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Identify the six major attributes that distinguish 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.	Anthropology includes the study of:
a.	the use and social context of body language.	
b.	fossil plants and their closest relatives.	
c.	prehistoric societies and artifacts.	
d.	the relationship between humans and the universe.	

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

	13.	Archaeology is:
a.	the study of human evolution.	
b.	largely devoted to recovering artifacts and building museum collections.	
c.	the study of the behavior and material culture of past human societies.	
d.	the study of 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		

	14.	An archaeological field school is announced in your anthropology course. The description says that you will be able to travel to Belize to learn about the lives of the ancient Mayans. What 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

	15.	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		

	16.	A hypothesis:
a.	is equivalent to a theory.	
b.	is an attempt to explain observations and predict future scientific results.	
c.	is a statement concerning scientific facts.	
d.	is 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		

	17.	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		

	18.	How is biocultural anthropology different from cultural anthropology?
a.	It combines cultural studies with archaeology.	
b.	It examines the interaction between biology and culture in shaping human biology.	
c.	It is strictly a biological science.	
d.	It considers culture to be a byproduct 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

	19.	Bipedalism is considered one of the hallmarks of hominid evolution because:
a.	it was the first evolutionary development that distinguished humans from other animals.	
b.	it was possible only after the advent of simple material culture.	
c.	it followed brain expansion in human evolution.	
d.	it 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		

	20.	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 relying on careful examination and has been 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		

	21.	Physical anthropology as a discipline is NOT concerned with:
a.	skeletal pathology.	c.	fossilized nonprimate remains.	
b.	primate behavior.	d.	human evolution	

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

	22.	Franz Boas:
a.	had an early influence on Darwin’s theory of natural selection.	
b.	considered environment and biology insignificant in the study of human cultures.	
c.	never conducted his own fieldwork, curiously.	
d.	united the study of culture, language, and biology within American anthropology.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	
OBJ:	Characterize the general history of American anthropology as founded by Franz Boas
TOP:	Anthropology matters		MSC:	Remembering		

	23.	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		

	24.	Just before the arrival of the Spanish on Saint Catherines Island, people there:
a.	were primarily fishermen.	c.	became the first farmers of the region.	
b.	were hunter-gatherers.	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		

	25.	Physical anthropologists might examine:
a.	human brain biology.	
b.	molecular structure of non-primate diseases.	
c.	nonprimate growth and development.	
d.	linguistic evolution.	

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

	26.	How has the environment influenced human biology?
a.	Activities you engage in put stress on your muscles and bones.	
b.	Humans influence the environment through climate change.	
c.	Changes in the climate produce changes in the environment resulting in changes in human biology through diet.	
d.	Humans are not subject to adaptation and therefore are not influenced by environment.	

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

	27.	Environment refers to:
a.	The connection between you, the climate, and your geographic placement.	
b.	Social and cultural factors that have affected you.	
c.	The cultural identity of your family and friends.	
d.	Change in your physical location.	

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

	28.	In the context of physical anthropology a disadvantaged social environment includes:
a.	one with minimal access to technology.	c.	one with poor-quality nutrition.	
b.	one with no transportation system.	d.	one with poor hygiene.	

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

	29.	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.	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

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

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

	31.	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 distinguish humans from animals
TOP:	What Is So Different About Humans from Other Animals?		
MSC:	Remembering		

	32.	Anthropology views humans as both:
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		

	33.	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		

	34.	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		

	35.	To increase humans’ chances of hunting success:
a.	hunting was led by females.	
b.	hunting was conducted with lithic tools and cooperative strategies.	
c.	hunting was always well planned with a diagram.	
d.	hunting strategies were developed to include children as bait.	

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

	36.	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 distinguish humans from animals
TOP:	The six big events of human evolution		MSC:	Remembering

	37.	Boas proposed that anthropologists could learn about  though careful observation and attention.
a.	race, morality, and primitive religions	c.	morality, human variation, and cultures	
b.	primitive humans and their societies	d.	cultures, societies, and peoples’ biology	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Characterize the general history of American anthropology as founded by Franz Boas
TOP:	How do we know? Franz Boas	MSC:	Understanding		

	38.	Boas laid the foundation for scientific anthropology by:
a.	relying on the scientific method.	
b.	evaluating cultures from a personal perspective.	
c.	using genetics to develop theories on human variation.	
d.	demonstrating the variation in humans as a result of moral differences.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Characterize the general history of American anthropology as founded by Franz Boas
TOP:	How do we know? Franz Boas	MSC:	Understanding		

	39.	Forensic anthropologists who were called in to help with the 9/11 tragedy had to have a very good understanding of:
a.	primate dentition.	c.	CSI training.	
b.	human hair identification.	d.	human osteology.	

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

	40.	The biological profile of an individual includes their:
a.	age, sex, height, and biological ancestry.	c.	biological ancestry, sex, and skin color.	
b.	sex, weight, personal history, and age.	d.	skin, hair, and eye color.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	
OBJ:	Identify several different research areas in physical anthropology	
TOP:	Anthropology matters		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, etc., 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 distinguish humans from animals
TOP:	What Is So Different About Humans from Other Animals?		
MSC:	Analyzing