Objective: Demonstrate that you are learning how to think scientifically and that you are developing an understanding of key ideas and examples relevant to biological anthropology.
Instructions: Type your answers to the questions on this page. Use New Times Roman 12-point font and single-space your answers. Exams that are not typed will be returned to you ungraded.While you are encouraged to study with classmates for this exam, be sure that you write your exam answers in your own words.
Question 1: In your own words; summarize the scientific thinking and processes that are used to complete the three-day skull comparisons activity. Also,state the conclusion that emerged after you summarized the data (for the eight skulls), making sure to link your conclusion to the data.Finally, what is the significance of the recent addition of Ardipithecusramidus to the fossil record? [Hint: Be sure to use the scientific terminology emphasized in class; also, be sure to use scientific conventions when identifying individual fossils!]
Question 2: In the video Becoming Human (Episode 1: "First Steps"), four hypotheses are identified in regards to how hominids became bipedal. Identify those four hypotheses, and then explain how paleoanthropologists can accurately infer that a species was bipedal based solely upon examination of a skull. Likewise, how can paleoanthropologists accurately identify an anatomically modern human skull from that of other hominins? [Hint: to fully answer both questions, you need to identify distinguishing features of hominid skulls using the scientific terminology presented in the course!]