Biological Anthropology 105 UW
Madison Exam Questions and Answers
Humans are a product of what two histories and what are their respective pressures? -
Answer-Biological history (ecological pressures) and life history (environmental
pressures)
When did hominids appear? - Answer-20 mya
When did hominins appear? - Answer-6-7 mya
When did primates first appear? - Answer-55 mya
When did life on earth appear? - Answer-3.5 bya
When did earth form? - Answer-4.5 bya
James Hutton - Answer-Uniformitarianism
Robert Hooke - Answer-First fossils
George Curvier - Answer-Organisms can go extinct, trace evolutionary history through
strata
What are the two levels of evolution? - Answer-Macroevolution and microevolution
What is macroevolution? - Answer-Evolutionary changes that result in the formation of
new species (adaptive radiation)
What is microevolution? - Answer-Changes in a population's biological traits
What is adaptive radiation? - Answer-The process of forming a new species
Lamack - Answer-Hypothesis organisms evolved through the inheritance of acquired
characteristic vs. biological inheritance
Mendel - Answer-Two alleles (punit square)
Distinction between genotypes and phenotypes - Answer-Genotype=genetic,
phenotype=physical (think alliteration)
Non-Mendelian Inheritance - Answer-refers to any pattern of inheritance in which traits
do not segregate in accordance with Mendel's laws (ex. incomplete dominance,
codominance, multiple alleles, polygenic traits, sex-linked traits)
, Thomas Morgan - Answer-Evolution happens through genetic mutations
homologous traits - Answer-features that are inherited from a common ancestor
Homoplastic - Answer-traits that appear similar in two different species, but don't derive
from a common ancestor
What are the 3 components of ecological niche? - Answer-1. Canopy layer
2. Time of activeness
3. Diet
Crepuscular - Answer-active at dawn and dusk
Gummivores - Answer-Eat primarily the saps and gums of trees
What 5 factors impact what primates eat? - Answer-1. Body size
2. Rest metabolism (big brains)
3. Growth/development
4. Reproductive efforts
5. Active metabolism
What characteristics do insects and gums have? - Answer-High energy, low quantity
What characteristics do leaves and fruits have? - Answer-Medium energy, medium
quantity
What characteristics do leaves and seeds have? - Answer-Low energy, high quantity
Quadrapeds - Answer-Equal arms and legs (terrestrial or arboreal)
clingers and leapers - Answer-short arms, long legs (walk funny)
Suspensory - brachiation - Answer-Long arms, short legs (arboreal swingers)
Knucklewalkers - Answer-Long arms, short legs (terrestrial)
What are the advantages of primate hands? - Answer-Dexterity, grip, and precision
Quadrumanous - Answer-Four handed, ability to use feet as hands (4 mobile joints)
Nails vs claws - Answer-Nails are good for climbing and dexterity vs. claws merely good
for climbing
What are the 6 main primate traits? - Answer-1. Grasping hands
2. Generalized dentition (helps with varied diets)
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