Question 1

What traits best distinguish Homo habilis from the australopiths?

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Question 2

What characteristics define a hominin? Discuss which aspects of your definition can be assessed in the fossil record.

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Question 3

Contrast obligate bipedalism with habitual bipedalism.

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Question 4

Define the term mosaic evolution. List three different anatomical or behavioral hominid traits that demonstrate the nature of mosaic evolution.

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Question 5

What is the law of superposition, and how is it related to the dating methods discussed in the text?

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Question 6

You are a paleoanthropologist planning an excavation at a new hominin site in East Africa that is dated to about 2 mya. What fossil hominin species might you expect to find? What anatomical traits might you use to assign them to specific existing taxa?

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Question 7

Explain the differences between relative and chronometric (absolute) dating techniques. Give an example of one relative technique and three chronometric techniques.

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Question 8

Discuss the combinations of anatomical characteristics found in Sahelanthropus, Ororrin, and Ardipithecus. Based on these characteristics, should these genera be considered hominins?

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Question 9

Draw your own phylogeny of the hominins discussed in Chapter 8. Explain the logic behind your phylogeny.

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Question 10

Discuss the mechanics of walking on two legs in terms of four anatomical characteristics of a biped.

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Question 11

What are some of the hypotheses purporting to explain the evolution of bipedalism?

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Question 12

What is the contribution of investigations at Olduvai Gorge to paleoanthropological research?

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Quiz 9: Hominin Origins