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ANT 210
Physical Anthropology
Test 2 Review Guidelines
Test 2 is worth a total of 100 points (20% of your course grade) and comprises three sections and a bonus (extra credit) opportunity to earn four additional points.
Below, each section is described. Following a description of each section of the test, a list of terms and concepts is provided, chapter by chapter, along with some guidelines about what to focus on.
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The Sections:
Part I: Multiple choice. There are 26 multiple
choice questions worth two points each. Please refer back to the
test 1 review guidelines for tips on
multiple choice questions in general.
Questions in this section cover each topic:
macroevolution (notes and chapter 4), *primate classification in general
(notes and chapter 5), primate behavior (notes and chapter 6), and humans
(notes and chapter 7).
*Primate classification is emphasized in the short answer
section, where you will be asked to label taxonomic levels (i.e., order,
suborder, infraorder, etc.) and taxonomic names (i.e., Prosimii,
Anthropoidea, Strepsirrhini, Haplorrhini, etc.). Primate
questions in the multiple choice section of the test are
about primate behaviors, primate characteristics, and primate biology.
Some of the multiple choice questions give a term or name of
a concept and ask you to understand the correct definition; other questions
provide the definition and ask you for the term or the name of the concept.
Questions may ask you to recognize something that is TRUE or
NOT TRUE about a concept when a list of several points is provided.
For example, some questions say: "All of the following are true about
___ EXCEPT" while other questions ask "Which of the following is TRUE
about..."
Part II: Matching. There are 12 matching
questions worth 2 points each.
A definition or concept is provided, asking you to provide
the term or concept name.
Questions are about the rate and pace of evolutionary
change, how we classify primates, primate locomotion, primate behaviors,
primate social organization, how growth is measured, etc.
Part III: Short Answer and Fill In. There
are two short answer questions worth 4 points each and one taxonomic chart
with areas you fill in (taxonomic levels and taxonomic names) with 15 items
to fill in, worth 1 point each. There is also one fill in question
worth 1 point. This section is worth a total of 24 points.
Regarding the taxonomic chart, some of the taxonomic levels
and names will already be filled in; you will fill in the blanks in a table
(not directly on the chart) and you will be given a choice of terms to
use--not all of which will be used, not all of which are correct, and none
of which will be used more than once. Since the terminology is
provided for you, spelling will count.
Taxonomy is very important for this test since we will be referring to all of the taxonomic levels/names in upcoming class sessions as we learn about the evolutionary history of primates and ultimately humans. Please study the revised taxonomic chart thoroughly--this is a relatively straightforward way to earn 30 points. Practice diagramming the chart and filling in the levels and names. Recall the suffix explanations from class so you can more easily identify infraorders, superfamilies, families, and subfamilies.
Items to Know:
Note: Much of what to know is listed below; yet it may not be everything. Use this review as a guideline. Look up anything you don't have in your notes (especially if you missed a class and didn't get notes from someone) in your text and on the Internet because information from lecture is not always in the text. Again, be sure to read your text even if you have all the class notes because not all information from the text is discussed in class.
Macroevolution (Lecture notes and Chapter 4):
biological species concept, anagenesis, cladogenesis, orthogenesis,
chronospecies, speciation, adaptive radiation, phyletic gradualism,
punctuated equilibrium, mass extinction, misconceptions about evolution (pp.
99-100), homology, homoplasy, symplesiomorphy, synapomorphy, parallel
evolution, convergent evolution, primitive trait, derived trait,
subspecies, evolutionary systematics, cladistics, outgroup. Be able to
explain what phyletic gradualism and punctuated equilibrium means.
Much of the above will appear in multiple choice questions and in the
matching section.
Primate Classification (Lecture notes and Chapter 5): Chapter
5 basically introduces primates by way of comparisons with other mammals.
Please know what chordata, notochord, vertebrata, and bilateral asymmetry
are in order to understand the rest of this chapter; however, there will be
no questions on these specific terms. Do understand terms such as
placenta, prenatal, postnatal, and homeotherm. These terms may appear
as answer choices in other questions. Teeth: know what
homodontic and heterodontic mean in general, and that primates have four
different types of teeth, and that a dental formula is an abbreviated way of
understanding tooth number and type (you do not need to know the specific
primate dental formulas). Teeth will not be emphasized on this test
since we will be learning more about teeth in upcoming class sessions and
readings. More terms: cerebrum, arboreal, terrestrial,
prehensile. Know in general what specialized and generalized
structures are, but this will not be a distinct test question. Know
the characteristics that distinguish primates from other animals, such as
stereoscopic vision, grasping hands, flattened nails, postorbital ring or
bar. Review the general skeletal/dental features that allow us to
interpret behavior such as diet, locomotion/movement, activity patterns
(from lecture). The taxonomy in this chapter (and your chart from
class) is important; focus on the revised
system. Know the names of the various taxonomic groupings and their levels
(click here
for the charts). You do not have to know specifics about each different type
of primate on pages 127-143 (e.g., you do not have to know the differences
between hominoids, hominids, and hominins--we will cover this in the future); yet please review the terms of
locomotion/movement (i.e., quadrupedal, brachiation, etc.) Know
the terms nocturnal, diurnal, morphology.
Primate behavior (Class information and Chapter 6):
home range, behavioral ecology (be able to explain what behavioral
ecology means), strategy, life history theory, parental investment, ways in
which primates group themselves and parent (terms: alloparent,
infanticide), social dynamics/groupings, affiliative behaviors, the
importance of grooming, agonistic behaviors, kin selection, reciprocal
altruism, dominance hierarchy, sexual dimorphism, locomotion/movement (brachiation,
knuckle-walking), territory, savanna, fission-fusion. Review
general primate diversity in the section called "case studies of
primate behavior"; and review the terminology throughout this section.
General information such as lemurs live in Madagascar, apes are in Asia and
Africa, etc. is good to know. Do focus on some specifics of apes
(i.e., chimp tool use, language, culture) as a way to understand the
ape/human difference. Specifics on each different type of primate, however,
will not be the primary focus for this test; but, the information in the
text is used to better explain the terminology so please read the actual
text rather than simply look up the terms out of context.
Humans (Class information and Chapter 7): allometry, bipedal (know that humans are bipedal; information on skeletal features of bipedalism will not be on this test--we will cover this topic later). Other terms: estrus, zygote, embryo, fetus, (polygyny and polyandry are good to know but will not be on the test), distance curve, velocity curve, menopause (not just what it is but also who experiences it and some thoughts on why), humans and apes: comparisons in tool-making, culture, language.