CHAPTER 12: From Hominin to Homo
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A new species appeared in Africa around 1.8 mya. Called Homo erectus by some paleontologists,
others refer to these hominins as Homo ________.
a.
rudolfensis
c.
ergaster
b.
heidelbergensis
d.
neanderthalensis
2. ________ had large, robust bodies with relatively long arms and legs and may have been adapted to
run long distances.
a.
Homo habilis
c.
Homo ergaster
b.
Australopithecus africanus
d.
Paranthropus boisei
3. Homo ergaster appeared in the fossil record about
a.
180 million years ago.
c.
1.8 million years ago.
b.
18 million years ago.
d.
18,000 years ago.
4. Homo ergaster disappeared from the African fossil record about
a.
1.6 million years ago.
c.
6,000 years ago.
b.
60,000 years ago.
d.
600,000 years ago.
5. Homo ergaster and Homo habilis may have coexisted for almost ________ in Africa.
a.
1 million years
c.
3 million years
b.
500,000 years
d.
200,000 years
6. The large browridges and the ridge at the back of the skull of Homo ergaster are
a.
larger in females than in males.
b.
needed to buttress the skull against novel stresses created by an increased emphasis on
tearing and biting.
c.
characteristic of australopithecines as well.
d.
smaller than those seen in australopithecines.
OBJ: Describe the morphology, life history, and life ways of Homo erectus/ergaster.
7. Homo ergaster shared important adaptive traits with modern humans, including
a.
complex foraging technology.
c.
a very large brain for their body size.
b.
fast life histories.
d.
occipital torus.
8. Paleontologists state that Homo ergaster was fully committed to terrestrial life because
a.
the teeth of Homo ergaster show evidence of meat eating.
b.
sexual dimorphism is reduced in this species.
c.
Homo ergaster had the same body proportions as people who live in tropical savannas
today.
d.
their brain size is larger than the brains of other hominins.
9. During interglacial periods of the early Middle Pleistocene,
a.
the world was drier.
b.
temperatures were cooler.
c.
glaciers covered Europe and North America.
d.
animals moved from Africa to Eurasia.
10. Homo ergaster
a.
may not have had spoken language.
c.
was very lean.
b.
could walk but not run.
d.
was highly sexually dimorphic.
11. Homo ergaster possessed some primitive characteristics of earlier hominids, including
a.
a chin.
c.
large browridges.
b.
a high forehead.
d.
postorbital constriction.
12. A primitive trait of Homo ergaster is
a.
large browridges.
b.
a small brain.
c.
a vestibular system similar to that of quadrupedal primates.
d.
short legs, long arms, and curved fingers.
OBJ: Describe the morphology, life history, and life ways of Homo erectus/ergaster.
13. Homo ergaster possessed many derived features shared by modern humans, including
a.
a taller skull.
c.
no chin.
b.
larger teeth.
d.
small, gracile muscles.
14. A derived feature of Homo ergaster not shared with modern humans is
a.
occipital torus.
c.
a broad, flat face.
b.
smaller jaws and teeth.
d.
less prognathism.
15. Average Homo ergaster brain size was
a.
500 cc.
c.
1,500 cc.
b.
800 cc.
d.
2,000 cc.
16. Homo ergaster males were
a.
twice as large as females.
c.
about the same size as females.
b.
20% to 30% larger than females.
d.
smaller than females.
17. Homo ergaster
a.
made Mode 1 technology only.
b.
developed more slowly than the australopithecines, but more rapidly than modern humans.
c.
had an apelike postcrania with longer arms than legs.
d.
lived in shelters made from various materials such as adobe.
18. Studies of tooth enamel growth rate indicate that Homo ergaster
a.
matured faster than australopiths.
b.
matured at the same rate as australopiths.
c.
did not have the long childhood of modern humans.
d.
had the long childhood of modern humans.
19. The openings in the vertebrae of Homo ergaster are
a.
smaller than in modern humans.
b.
larger than in modern humans.
c.
the same size as in modern humans.
d.
sometimes larger and sometimes smaller than in modern humans.
20. Which of the following statements is true regarding the African range of Homo ergaster?
a.
H. ergaster specialized in the woodland forests of East Africa.
b.
By 1.8 mya, H. ergaster had extended its range to the most northern and southern parts of
Africa.
c.
H. ergaster could not colonize the high-altitude plateaus of Ethiopia or use the dry edges
of the Rift Valley.
d.
This species’ range encompassed almost the entire continent, which means that it was
adapted to a broad range of environmental conditions.
21. Homo ergaster used
a.
Oldowan and Acheulean tools.
b.
bone and wood tools but not stone tools.
c.
Mousterian tools.
d.
the earliest metal tools.
22. Acheulean stone tools were
a.
varied randomly in size and shape.
b.
more standardized than Oldowan tools.
c.
probably used mainly for chopping.
d.
a Mode 3 technology.
23. Based on experiments, Acheulean stone tools were probably used
a.
to dig for tubers.
b.
to scrape bark from trees.
c.
to butcher animals.
d.
as projectiles in the hunt large animals (“killer Frisbees”).
24. Homo ergaster was the first hominin known to have
a.
evolved in Africa.
c.
lived in Europe.
b.
used Oldowan tools.
d.
eaten meat.
OBJ: Explain how hominins left Africa. MSC: Remembering
25. Evidence that Homo ergaster ate meat includes the fact that
a.
their tools were well designed for chopping.
b.
their teeth were well designed for shearing.
c.
they lived in Africa.
d.
Homo ergaster lived in areas where fruits and plant food were not always available.
26. The projecting nose of Homo ergaster may have
a.
increased their olfactory ability.
b.
decreased the amount of oxygen available in each inhalation.
c.
helped to prevent moisture loss.
d.
altered the sound of their voices while using language.
a.
2.8 mya.
c.
1.8 kya.
b.
1.8 mya.
d.
2,800 ya.
28. The hominins of Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia, are associated with
a.
Oldowan tools.
c.
Levallois tools.
b.
Acheulean tools.
d.
Mousterian tools.
29. Evidence for meat eating by Homo ergaster includes
a.
vitamin A poisoning in the KNM-ER 1808 skeleton.
b.
controlled use of fire at Homo ergaster sites.
c.
carnivore tooth marks on their skeletons.
d.
preserved stomach contents in some skeletons.
30. Homo erectus shares which of the following characteristics with Homo ergaster?
a.
Cranial features such as the sagittal keel
b.
The mode of tools made
c.
Where it lived
d.
When it lived
31. The Dmanisi hominins had the same ________ as modern humans.
a.
brain size
c.
limb proportions
b.
body size
d.
growth patterns
32. Homo erectus was shorter and stockier than Homo ergaster. This morphological difference most likely
reflects
a.
dietary differences.
b.
different climatic adaptations.
c.
differences in technological abilities.
d.
nonadaptive random differences.
33. Which of these is the most widely supported explanation for the small body size and mixture of
primitive and derived traits of Homo floresiensis?
a.
H. floresiensis is a result of evolutionary dwarfism.
b.
H. floresiensis had microcephaly.
c.
H. floresiensis had an ancestor older than Homo erectus.
d.
H. floresiensis is a hoax.
34. The hominin H. heidelbergensis represents
a.
a sister group of H. habilis.
b.
a species found only in Asia.
c.
archaic H. sapiens of the early Middle Pleistocene.
d.
a hominin believed to have become extinct about 100,000 years ago.
35. Homo heidelbergensis appeared between
a.
2 and 1 million years ago.
c.
800,000 and 500,000 years ago.
b.
1 million and 10,000 years ago.
d.
400,000 and 10,000 years ago.
36. Homo heidelbergensis lived in
a.
Africa only.
b.
Africa and Eurasia.
c.
Eurasia only.
d.
every continent of the world except Antarctica.
REF: Hominins of the Early Middle Pleistocene (900 to 300 kya)
37. The average brain size of Homo heidelbergensis was about
a.
700 cc.
c.
1,300 cc.
b.
1,000 cc.
d.
1,500 cc.
38. Primitive features of Homo heidelbergensis include
a.
a higher forehead.
c.
a skull with more vertical sides.
b.
a chin.
d.
a large, prognathic face.
39. Primitive features of Homo heidelbergensis include
a.
a receding forehead.
b.
a skull that is narrow behind the eyes.
c.
thick cranial bones.
d.
a sagittal crest.
40. Derived features of Homo heidelbergensis include
a.
a larger brain.
c.
a flat back of the skull.
b.
a prominent occipital bun.
d.
a chin.
41. Derived features of Homo heidelbergensis include
a.
thin cranial bones.
c.
a higher forehead.
b.
small browridges.
d.
a sagittal keel.
42. The tools of Homo heidelbergensis are
a.
more similar to those of modern humans than to those of Homo erectus.
b.
more similar to those of Homo erectus than to those of modern humans.
c.
in between those of Homo erectus and modern humans.
d.
never made of chipped stone tools.
43. Evidence suggests that Homo heidelbergensis
a.
hunted large game such as woolly rhinoceros.
b.
did not hunt large game.
c.
scavenged only small prey.
d.
was vegetarian.
44. Prepared core tools
a.
are classified as Mode 2 technology.
b.
include those made by the Acheulean technique.
c.
include a variety of different kinds of tools made by modifying the shape of the original
core.
d.
are associated with all Homo species.
45. About 300,000 years ago in Europe some features of H. heidelbergensis included double-arched
browridges, average cranial capacity of 1,390 cc, and a face that bulges out, or is prognathic, about
midway. These features are shared with
a.
H. ergaster
c.
Neanderthals
b.
H. erectus
d.
modern H. Sapiens
46. For most of the last 130,000 years, the global climate has almost always been
a.
hotter than at present.
b.
colder than at present.
c.
about the same as at present.
d.
sometimes much hotter and sometimes about the same as present.
47. Neanderthal remains date to about
a.
1 million to 10,000 years ago.
c.
130,000 to 30,000 years ago.
b.
500,000 to 100,000 years ago
d.
30,000 to 10,000 years ago.
48. Neanderthals lived in
a.
Europe only.
c.
Asia only.
b.
Europe and western Asia.
d.
Africa and eastern Asia.
49. The first Neanderthal findings were thought to be
a.
diseased modern humans.
b.
an extinct prehuman animal.
c.
an undiscovered living race of people.
d.
evidence of H. erectus in Europe.
50. Derived features of the Neanderthals include
a.
thin limbs.
c.
gracile faces.
b.
low, flat crania.
d.
large brains.
51. Derived features of the Neanderthals include
a.
slim bodies.
c.
large brains.
b.
large front teeth.
d.
very tall skeletons.
52. The average Neanderthal brain size was about
a.
2,000 cc.
c.
1,000 cc.
b.
1,520 cc.
d.
500 cc.
53. Neanderthals
a.
had short limbs relative to their body size, probably as an adaptation to cold climates.
b.
had long limbs relative to body size, probably as an adaptation to warm climates.
c.
were the first hominin to be adapted to virtually all climates humans later lived in.
d.
were very small owing to their evolution on small islands.
54. Neanderthals are known to have used
a.
only Oldowan tools.
c.
a wide range of Mousterian tools.
b.
mostly Acheulean tools.
d.
only wood and bamboo tools.
55. The lifeways of Neanderthals probably included
a.
burial of the dead and hunting large game.
b.
primarily scavenging for meat, and very little use of plant foods.
c.
permanent settlements.
d.
limited planting of crops.
56. Evidence suggests that the lifeways of the Neanderthals included
a.
organized warfare.
c.
burial of the their dead.
b.
limited agriculture.
d.
permanent settlements.
57. During the height of the last glacial period (around 30 kya),
a.
huge continental glaciers covered much of Southern Europe and North Africa.
b.
sea levels rose.
c.
Eurasia teemed with animals like woolly mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, reindeer, aurochs,
musk oxen, and horses.
d.
forests expanded in Africa.
58. Studies of Neanderthal postcrania indicate that Neanderthals
a.
were very robust and heavily muscled.
b.
used technology instead of their bodies to deal with the environment.
c.
were adapted for interglacial periods.
d.
did not have a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
59. Neanderthals
a.
had relatively short life spans of no more than 45 years and often had injuries such as bone
fractures.
b.
had relatively short life spans of no more than 45 years and were very healthy, with almost
no evidence of injury or disease as shown by their bones.
c.
were often killed by large predators, as most of their bones are found in predator lairs and
show gnaw marks.
d.
are represented by very few bones that tell us very little about their lifeways.
60. Hominins living in Africa during the later Middle Pleistocene
a.
had large cranial volumes ranging from 1,370 to 1,510 cc.
b.
had specialized features diagnostic of European Neanderthals.
c.
were less like modern hominins than earlier African hominins.
d.
date prior to 400 kya.
61. The rapidly fluctuating climates of the Pleistocene may have caused some populations of hominins to
a.
migrate to Africa.
b.
become fully isolated and even more specialized.
c.
rely on plant foods more.
d.
build permanent shelters.
62. Which of the following statements can be seen as support for the idea that Homo floresiensis is
descended from Homo erectus?
a.
The skulls of H. floresiensis share a number of derived characters with H. erectus.
b.
A rich fossil record documents a long occupation of nearby mainland areas by H. erectus.
c.
Mode 2 tools have been found on Flores and are dated to 500,000 years ago.
d.
Adult H. floresiensis look like H. erectus children.
63. ________ is used as evidence that Neanderthals did not have modern language.
a.
The simplicity of Mode 3 technology
b.
The crural index
c.
The relatively flat basicranium
d.
The reconstruction of past climates
64. Which of the following statements about ancient hominins is NOT true?
a.
Homo ergaster lived in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
b.
The average brain size of Homo ergaster was 600 cc.
c.
The large variation seen in the brain size of Homo ergaster may be indicative of sexual
dimorphism.
d.
Homo ergaster was taller than modern humans.
65. Which of the following statements about ancient hominins is likely true?
a.
Homo ergaster possessed thick cranial bones and a sagittal keel.
b.
Anatomists are certain that Homo ergaster had spoken language based on evidence from
the thoracic vertebra.
c.
Homo ergaster may have been the first hominin to control fire.
d.
Homo ergaster made Mode 2 tools only.
66. Which of the following statements about ancient hominins is NOT true?
a.
The use of fire to cook meat and tubers would have increased the foraging efficiency of
Homo ergaster.
b.
Acheulean tools are made with Mode 2 methods.
c.
Homo ergaster males were 20% to 30% smaller than females.
d.
The Pleistocene epoch began 1.8 mya and was characterized by warmer temperatures.
67. Genetic data from fossils found at Denisova Cave
a.
indicate that Neanderthals and other hominins of the time were genetically isolated.
b.
show that the Denisovans, a population that predates 50,000 years, share a common
ancestor with Neanderthals postdating the Neanderthal–human split.
c.
show that a very small-bodied form of Homo ergaster or erectus evolved in Europe.
d.
show that the Denisovans are a form of Neanderthal.
68. Which of the following is NOT a contributing factor in the current disagreements over how to classify
Middle Pleistocene hominins?
a.
There are very few fossils of Middle Pleistocene hominins, and no two appear to be from
the same species.
b.
The time scale of the Middle Pleistocene fossil record is very short, so evolutionary
changes may be more subtle than for earlier time periods for which there is less
disagreement.
c.
Different anthropologists have different ideas about what processes shape human
evolution during this period.
d.
Regardless of which model is correct, the hominins were distributed over a huge area and
may have resided in diverse ecological niches, with changing levels of interaction and
isolation among them.
1. Provide three lines of evidence that help evaluate whether or not H. ergaster ate meat. Include
evidence from archaeology (artifacts), as well as physical anthropology (the hominin fossils), in
addition to comparative and geographical information. Do any of these lines of evidence suggest that
they hunted their game?
2. Why do anatomists think that Homo ergaster did not have spoken language?
3. In what ways does H. ergaster differ from H. sapiens physically and developmentally? What does this
evidence suggest about H. ergaster versus human behavior?
4. What is the evidence that led paleoanthropologists to separate African and Asian hominins of the
Lower Pleistocene into two separate species, H. ergaster and H. erectus, respectively? Can the same
case be made for African and European H. heidelbergensis in contrast to their eastern representatives?
5. Homo ergaster lived in diverse areas of Africa before extending their range into Eurasia. What does
this tell you about this species? What anatomical and behavioral characteristics may have aided the
migration of Homo ergaster?
6. Describe the lifeways of the Neanderthals, comparing them with what is known about contemporary
human foragers. Specifically address their behavioral ecology, their diet, and what is known about
their culture
7. What is the evidence that Neanderthals took care of the sick and buried their dead?
The evidence that Neanderthals took care of their sick and buried their dead comes from
8. What processes may have caused the changes in hominin morphology and technology during the
Pleistocene?
9. Discuss the differences between Mode 1, 2, and 3 stone tool technologies.