This exam covers chapters 7-8. The questions are listed below. Students must answer 4 questions. The 4 questions must be selected from both chapters. Students must use the book only, as a reference for their answers. Any direct quotes or any definitions used must be reference utilizing the book author’s last name and page numbers the quote is found on. These are short answer questions. They must be at least 150 words and answer all parts of the question must be answered. Answers must be in your own words and you must use only the textbook for answers.
Format: Typed, times new romans, size 12 font. Type the Question (not included in the word count) then type the 150+word answer below the question. Upload as a word document.
Chapter 7: Origins of the Genus Homo
1. Members of the genus Homo draw upon integrated biological and cultural capabilities to face the challenges of existence. How do these factors play into the designation of species in the fossil record? How is the use of fire by ancestral species present in the fossil record both biologically and culturally?
2. Paleoanthropologists can be characterized as lumpers or splitters depending upon their approach to the identification of species in the fossil record. Which of these approaches do you prefer and why?
3. Though language itself does not “fossilize,” the archaeological and fossil records provide some evidence of the linguistic capabilities of our ancestors. Using the evidence available, what sort of linguistic abilities do you think early Homo possessed.
Chapter 8
4. What does it mean to be modern, biologically or culturally? How should we define human? Can creative artwork, like that pictured in this chapter’s Challenge Issue, be considered indicative of distinctly human biology?
5. How do you feel about the possibility of having Neandertals as part of your personal ancestry? How might you relate the Neandertal debates to stereotyping or racism in contemporary society?
6. Why do you think that most of the studies of prehistoric art have tended to focus on Europe? Do you think this focus reflects ethnocentrism or bias about the definition of art in Western cultures?
7. Do you think that gender has played a role in anthropological interpretations of the behavior of our ancestors and the way that paleoanthropologists and archaeologists conduct their research? Do you believe that feminism has a role to play in the interpretation of the past?
