Biological Anthropology Sample Exam 1 Multiple-Choice Questions For each of the following questions, circle the answer that is most correct. Each question is worth two (2) points. 1. Which of the following most accurately defines the field of anthropology? a) the study of ancient humans b) the study of nonhuman primates, their anatomy, and their evolution c) a study of humanity focusing on its biological and genetic aspects d) the study of humankind in all its forms 2. The focus of archaeology is a) the study of how humans evolved from earlier forms b) the study of the material culture and the behavior of humans of the past c) the study of how language arose d) the collection of materials for museum collections 3. Anthropologists use the term culture to refer to the sum total of a) all of the biological traits possessed by a group of people b) the rules and taboos adhered to by a group of people c) the learned traditions shared by a group of people d) the genetically inherited behaviors practiced by a group of people 4. The scientific method a) is based upon making educated guesses about the natural and supernatural worlds b) is used to support preconceived notions or theories c) seeks to establish absolute scientific truths d) involves empirical data collection and hypothesis testing 5. A scientific hypothesis a) is a statement that can refer to anything b) is a statement that cannot be refuted by future discoveries c) is a statement about the natural world that scientists can attempt to falsify d) is comprised of several contributing theories 6. When scientists say that a hypothesis must be falsifiable, they are stating that a) they believe that this hypothesis will eventually be shown to be incorrect b) the hypothesis must in some way be testable c) the hypothesis in question is the simplest of all current explanations d) they have ruled out the possibility of proving that particular hypothesis 7. During the European Middle Ages, the dominant scientific explanations for life and for the process through which the earth arose were based on a) empirical observation and experimentation b) religious scriptures c) the scientific method d) the concepts of catastrophism and uniformitarianism
2 8. Which of the following statements best defines the idea of uniformitarianism? a) species are immutable b) the world is periodically destroyed by catastrophes c) creatures can transform themselves and their offspring will then inherit those transformations d) the geologic processes that drive the world today have always done so 9. Science is considered self-correcting because a) hypotheses are based upon observations of the natural world b) the testing of a hypothesis can result in the rejection of previous hypotheses c) theories can be modified or replaced subject to new findings d) all of the above 10. One of the most important of Charles Darwin's observations was that a) nature is full of variation b) natural selection is very different from artificial selection c) populations have only a limited potential for growth d) creatures within a species all tend to look the same 11. From an evolutionary perspective, the "fitness" of an individual is expressed through a) the number of offspring it contributes to the next generation b) a visible characteristic, such as its size, strength, or speed c) the number of times it has copulated d) the amount of bling it has accumulated 12. Before about 1600, most Europeans believed that a) all species of life had evolved from one common ancestor b) most species of life had already gone extinct c) all forms of life were created by God at the time creation and had not changed since d) evolution was the result of natural selection acting upon genetic variation 13. The synthetic theory of evolution a) merged the ideas of James Hutton with those of Charles Darwin b) emphasized the role of microevolution over macroevolution c) combined Darwin s theory of natural selection with Mendel s ideas about inheritance d) reconciled traditional religious notions with modern scientific thinking 14. The English author Thomas Malthus provided Charles Darwin with the insight that a) all species eventually go extinct b) more individuals are born into a species than will reach adulthood c) some traits give the individuals who possess them a disadvantage d) creatures can will themselves to change 15. In attempting to explain the existence of fossils, Georges Cuvier discovered that a) there are more species alive today than at any other time in the history of the earth b) it is possible for a species to go extinct c) giraffes were once taller than they are today d) the Galapagos Islands were home to a large number of finch species 16. Charles Darwin revolutionized our thinking about living organisms because he a) explained how it is that living organisms are able to reproduce b) argued that natural forces are sufficient to explain the diversity of life c) disproved the notion that organisms are truly different d) discovered the rules of genetic inheritance
17. In his work on pea plants, Gregor Mendel observed that the height of a plant was sometimes tall and sometimes dwarf. This observation led him to eventually a) develop his ideas about genetic dominance and recessiveness b) discover the principle of allelic transformation c) postulate the law of random variation d) develop an improved method for growing peas 18. Somatic cells include all of the following except: a) kidney cells b) nerve cells c) egg cells d) ovary cells 19. How many copies must an organism possess of a recessive allele for the recessive trait to be expressed? a) one b) two c) four d) recessive traits are never expressed 20. Homologous chromosomes a) are genetically identical b) are inherited only from the mother c) are members of different pairs d) carry genetic information for the same traits 21. Taken together, the sum total of all of the alleles contained within a group of interbreeding individuals is known as a a) gene pool b) polymorphism c) intertidal estuary d) phenotype 22. The set of chromosomes specific to a particular species is known as its a) haplotype b) karyotype c) genotype d) phenotype 23. Which of the following best defines the term allele? a) a gene found in a sex cell b) the condition of the chromosome before a cell divides c) an alternate form of a gene d) to place where a gene is located on a chromosome 24. The normal complement of chromosomes found in a member of Homo sapiens is a. 46 chromosomes, arranged in 2 pairs b. 44 chromosomes, each coming from an autosome c. 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46 d. 23 chromosomes, which can come from either parent 25. In Homo sapiens, the sex of a child is determined by a) the types of foods that its mother ate as it was developing with her b) the X chromosome given by its mother c) the Y chromosome given by its mother d) the sex chromosome that it receives from its father 3
4 Short Answer Questions For each of the following questions, provide as comprehensive an answer as you can. The value of each question is shown in the parentheses following the question. 26. Anthropology is known as a four-field subject. State the name of each of these four fields, and give an example of the type of problem that each might investigate (one example for each) (8 pts.) a. b. c. d. 27. Is the statement Thunder occurs when Thor (the Storm God) strikes his mighty hammer a scientific statement? Why or why not? (2 pts.) 28. Using the example of the Copernican revolution, explain the process of scientific revolutions. (6 pts.)
5 29. Which fields of science have developed a perfect theoretical model? (2 pts.) 30. In 1600, what was the normal scientific model that was used to explain how life had originated? What were two of the main assumptions of this model? (4 pts.) 31. How did Georges Cuvier help to cast doubt upon this model (i.e., what idea of his challenged its assumptions) (2 pts.) 32. Why were the contributions of James Hutton and Charles Lyell so important to the development of Darwin s ideas about how species evolved? (2 pts.) 33. How did Lamarck explain the process through which giraffes came to have such long necks? (2 pts.)
6 34. How did Darwin explain the process through which giraffes came to have such long necks? (2 pts.) 35. Explain the concept of natural selection as it relates to microevolution. Be sure to mention all of the factors that allow natural selection to occur (5 pts.) 36. How do microevolution and macroevolution differ from one another? (2 pts.) 37. What do natural selection and artificial selection both require? In what way are the two different? (4 pts.)
7 38. What are the two principles (or laws) discovered by Gregor Mendel, and what does each of these state? (4 pts.) 39. What is the name of the process shown in the following illustration? In what type of cells doe this take place, and what are the outcomes of the process (4 pts.) (this could be an illustration of mitosis, meiosis, DNA replication, or some process of protein synthesis) 40. What is the name of the process shown in the following illustration? In what type of cells doe this take place, and what are the outcomes of the process (4 pts.) (this could be an illustration of mitosis, meiosis, DNA replication, or some process of protein synthesis)