WorksheetsEvolution and Hominin Basics
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
What role does the ilium/gluteal muscles play in bipedality?
Provide propulsion during running.
Stabilize trunk while walking upright.
Facilitate knee flexion during movement.
Support the weight of the upper body.
When and where did Homo sapiens originate?
~300 kya, Africa.
~200 kya, Asia.
~400 kya, Europe.
~150 kya, Australia.
What is the difference between occasional, habitual, and obligate bipeds?
Occasional = always bipedal; habitual = sometimes bipedal; obligate = rarely bipedal.
Occasional = sometimes bipedal; habitual = regular use; obligate = fully committed.
Occasional = never bipedal; habitual = sometimes bipedal; obligate = always bipedal.
Occasional = fully committed; habitual = sometimes bipedal; obligate = regular use.
Morphology of Paranthropus (e.g., P. boisei, P. robustus)?
Robust jaws, large molars, sagittal crest, zygomatic arches, small brain (~500–550cc)
Long limbs and small teeth
Flat face with large nasal cavity
High forehead and large brain (~800–900cc)
What are brow ridges?
Bone ridges above the eye sockets; reduced in modern humans.
Soft tissue structures that protect the eyes.
Muscle attachments for facial expressions.
Cartilage structures that support the nose.
Dates and locations of Paranthropus species?
~2.7–1.2 mya; East & South Africa.
~3.5–2.0 mya; West Africa.
~1.5–0.5 mya; Central Africa.
~4.0–3.0 mya; North Africa.
Tools or behavior of A. africanus?
Used advanced stone tools
No formal tools; possibly used bones/sticks.
Created complex shelters
Engaged in cooperative hunting
How does climate change influence evolution?
Alters habitats and food sources, prompting adaptation or extinction.
Increases the speed of genetic mutations in all species.
Reduces the overall biodiversity of ecosystems without affecting species.
Has no significant impact on the process of evolution.
Prognathic vs. orthognathic faces?
Prognathic = flat face (derived); orthognathic = protruding jaw (ancestral)
Prognathic = protruding jaw (ancestral); orthognathic = flat face (derived)
Prognathic = square jaw; orthognathic = round jaw
Prognathic = narrow face; orthognathic = wide face
What does melanin do?
Pigment that protects skin from UV radiation damage.
Substance that causes skin to wrinkle.
Hormone that regulates body temperature.
Vitamin that enhances skin color.
What is the fossil record and what are its limitations?
A collection of all discovered fossils; it's incomplete due to preservation bias and erosion.
A complete archive of all species that ever existed on Earth.
A database of living organisms and their habitats.
A record of only the most recent fossils found in the last decade.
Dates and location of Australopithecus afarensis?
2.5–1.5 million years ago (mya), South Africa
3.9–2.9 million years ago (mya), East Africa (e.g., Ethiopia, Tanzania)
4.5–3.5 million years ago (mya), North Africa
1.8–0.5 million years ago (mya), West Africa
What is Allen’s Rule?
Populations in colder climates have shorter limbs (less surface area to lose heat).
Populations in warmer climates have longer limbs (more surface area to gain heat).
All populations have the same limb length regardless of climate.
Populations in colder climates have longer limbs (more surface area to lose heat).
What is taphonomy?
Study of how organisms decay and become fossilized.
Study of the behavior of living organisms.
Study of the chemical composition of fossils.
Study of the geographical distribution of organisms.
What is stratigraphy?
A method of dating based on the alignment of celestial bodies.
A technique for analyzing soil composition and fertility.
Dating based on layers of earth; deeper layers are generally older.
A process of measuring the temperature of the earth's core.
What is sexual dimorphism?
Physical differences between sexes of a species, such as body or canine size.
Behavioral differences between males and females in a species.
Genetic variations that occur within a single sex of a species.
Differences in reproductive strategies between male and female organisms.
Tools and behavior of H. erectus?
Acheulian tools (Mode 2); possibly controlled fire; first to leave Africa.
Mousterian tools; primarily scavengers; lived in Europe.
Oldowan tools; exclusively aquatic; first to develop agriculture.
Neolithic tools; nomadic lifestyle; first to use metal.
Dates and location of Homo habilis?
1.5–1.0 mya, North Africa
2.4–1.4 mya, East and South Africa
3.0–2.5 mya, West Africa
1.8–1.2 mya, Central Africa
How are Vitamin D and folate linked to skin color evolution?
Dark skin protects folate; light skin allows Vitamin D production — both are crucial for reproduction and development.
Light skin protects folate; dark skin allows Vitamin D production — both are crucial for reproduction and development.
Dark skin enhances Vitamin D production; light skin protects folate — both are essential for health.
Vitamin D and folate have no significant link to skin color evolution.
Morphology and behavior of H. heidelbergensis?
Brain size approximately 1200cc, robust skull, thick brow ridges, likely built shelters, used Acheulian tools.
Brain size approximately 800cc, slender skull, no brow ridges, lived in caves, used simple stone tools.
Brain size approximately 1500cc, flat skull, prominent brow ridges, built complex structures, used advanced metal tools.
Brain size approximately 1000cc, elongated skull, minimal brow ridges, nomadic lifestyle, used wooden tools.
