Primate Evolution Overview

What is the primary focus of primatology within anthropology?

The study of primates helps anthropologists understand only the similarities between humans and other primates.

What are two types of non-human primates that are most important for anthropologists to study?

The study of primates, particularly those that live on the ground, helps us understand the adaptations of early human ancestors to a ______ environment.

What type of evolutionary change is observed in the fossil record, leading to new species?

Match the following terms with their respective definitions:

Homologous traits are evidence of shared ancestry between organisms.

How do anthropologists determine macroevolutionary changes from the fossil record?

Which of the following traits was NOT selected for in primates, as a result of the mass extinction event 65 million years ago?

The mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs was caused by a volcanic eruption.

Early hominin ancestors were primarily arboreal, meaning they spent a significant amount of time in trees.

What are the two main methods used by anthropologists to determine the age of fossils?

The ______ technique, which measures changes in radioactive isotopes, is commonly used for absolute dating of fossils.

Which of the following environmental factors is NOT a direct cause of the evolution of bipedalism in early hominins?

Anthropologists have discovered skeletal remains of nearly 6,000 early hominins, representing the entire hominin evolutionary history.

Which of the following is NOT a key evolutionary trend in primates?

Name one specific technique used for absolute dating of hominin fossils found in volcanic layers.

The study of human origins and evolution is known as ______.

Match the following dating methods to their descriptions:

Fossils found in metamorphic rocks are relatively easy to date.

Which of the following methods is often used to date remains found in caves?

What is the primary challenge in defining species among fossil remains?

Anthropologists use shared ______ to define species in fossil remains.

Which of the following is a derived trait used to classify fossils within the Homo genus?

The grouping of fossils into species is always definitive and never changes.

List the four evolutionary trends that define hominin evolution.

Match the following hominin traits with their evolutionary significance:

Which of the following species is believed to be the direct ancestor of Homo habilis?

All hominins, including Australopithecus species, used Oldowan tools.

What evolutionary adaptation allowed Australopithecus africanus to evolve into Au. sediba?

The emergence of the _____ genus is marked by increasing cranial capacity and more complex behavior.

Which of these species is characterized by larger teeth and jaws, indicating a diet of harder vegetation?

The earliest evidence of tool use among hominins was the production of Oldowan chopping tools.

What is the name of the famous anthropologists who discovered Oldowan chopping tools?

The _____ of animal protein and fats may have been a factor in the increase in cranial capacity among early hominins.

Match the following hominins with their dietary adaptations.

The term 'culture' can be applied to the tool-making behaviors of early hominins.

Describe the geological environment where the earliest known hominins, like Australopithecus afarensis, lived.

The use of Oldowan chopping tools indicates that early hominins relied on _____ innovations for environmental success.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic feature of Paranthropus robustus?

The evolutionary line leading to modern humans began with Homo habilis.

What is the name of the third evolutionary line that led to Homo habilis?

The Oldowan chopping tools were used primarily for ______, not hunting.

Which of the following hominins is considered a possible fourth evolutionary line, distinct from the Homo lineage?