FOOTSTEPS THROUGH TIME
San Diego Museum of Man Field Trip
Use this sheet to record your answers as you view the exhibit. Look for the titles (in italics) on exhibit signage to locate the answers to some questions. Other questions will require that you consider your personal thoughts about a particular issue. If an exhibit is under repair, you can still get the information needed to answer the questions from the signage.
This assignment is worth up to 30 points. You may visit the exhibit with other students; however, all writing must be in your own words. (That is, if you visit the museum with a classmate, you must still each write your own answers in your own words.)
Please write carefully and legibly; if I can't read your writing, I can't give you credit for the question. You must turn in a handwritten copy of this assignment, even if you choose to rewrite it on the computer (turn in both copies). Please attach your ticket if you do not go with the class on the specified field trip date.
Each question is worth two points, unless otherwise specified. Explain your answers fully. I hope you enjoy the exhibit!
In the Hominid Hall
1. Bipedalism
How do scientists determine if a primate species walked upright, based on evidence from bones?
2. How Do We Compare To Early Hominids? Name 7 ways modern humans differ from early hominids.
3. Australopithecus afarensis ("Lucy")
What are the defining features of this hominid? Which features are more ape-like and which are more human-like?
4. New Fossil Find
What does the discovery and classification of Kenyanthropus platyops mean for the fossil record?
5. Fossil Dating Techniques
Explain in your own words the two dating techniques of Stratigraphy and Potassium Argon Dating (K/AR).
6. DNA and GENES
What is DNA?
7. What are two ways genetic variation enters into the DNA code, according to the signage?
8. All living things contain the same recipe (DNA code) made up of the same four letters. What are the implications of this fact?
9. Homo sapiens
Where did modern humans evolve?
10. When did modern humans evolve (that is, when do we have evidence for the first Homo sapiens)?
11. Find "Turkana Boy" (Homo ergaster). How was his long, lean body adapted to the African savanna?
12. Homo neanderthalensis
Read about Neandertal bodies and compare how they were adapted to a different climate than "Turkana Boy."
In the Primate Hall
13. How Do We Compare to Other Primates?
Name 5 ways humans differ from other primates:
14. Chimpanzees Are Our Closest Kin
What does it mean that there is a very small difference between human and bonobo DNA?
15. How long ago did our ancestral line diverge from the chimpanzee line?
16. Examine impressions of primate hands and feet, especially the presence or absence of an opposable toe. How are primate hands and feet adapted to life in the trees?
17. How are some primate feet adapted to life on the ground? (You will need to include additional information to answer this question besides the information on the signage. Remember to include human primate feet!)
In the Human Lab
Answer the following questions in full sentences. There is no wrong answer, only a poorly stated one:
18. Cloning
Should we allow cloning to find cures or grow organs for transplant? Why or why not?
19. Should we allow cloning to save endangered species or bring back extinct ones? Why or why not?
20. If we can clone human beings, should we? Why or why not?
21. Gene Selection
Should we allow the selection of genes to eliminate diseases or disorders? Why or why not?
22. If you could select your child's sex, would you choose a boy or a girl? Why?
23. Should we allow the selection of genes to make "perfect" children? Why or why not?
24. Brain Disorders
Should a person be able to repair his or her genes in brain cells to cure Parkinson's Disease? Why or why not?
25. If the genetic repair requires changing the genes in a person's sperm or egg cells, which will change the genes he or she passes on to offspring, should that be allowed?
Personal Response
26. What was your experience like viewing this exhibit?
27. What features of the exhibit were the most interesting to you and why? Was there anything about the exhibit that you disliked? If so, why?
28-30. Explore another exhibit in the museum. Choose three items that you find interesting. Tell what each item is, what community of people made or used it, and what you find interesting about it.