Biological Anthropology

Quiz #3
Study Guide

Students will be quizzed on the assigned readings, lectures, in-class activities, and
materials presented in class. Quiz #3 is worth 15 points total. You will need a Quiz
strip Form No. 815-E, and a #2 pencil. You will have 15 minutes to complete the
quiz.

These are some of the concepts and terms that you should be familiar with.

1. Homo erectus/ ergaster (all)

2. Homo habilis/ rudolfensis (all)
3. Homo floresiensis “Hobbits”
4. “Neanderthals” (all)
5. Homo heidelbergensis (all)
6. Pre-australopiths (all)
7. Australopithecines (all)
8. Eugene Dubois
9. Pleistocene
10. Pre-modern humans/ Homo sapiens/Homo sapiens sapiens (all)

Pre-australopiths
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
o 7-6 MYA
o May have been a possible biped
§ Foramen magnum is intermediate
Ardipithecus ramidus “Ardi”
o 4.4 MYA
o May have been a biped; possibly when on the ground
Australopiths
“Lucy” AL-288-1
• Named after the Beatles rock group song: “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
• 40% complete
• 3.5-3.7 feet tall
• Reduced canines and molars (larger than modern humans)
• Smaller brain: 380-430cc; about the same size as a modern chimp
• Prognathic face/jaw
Taung Baby
• Analyzed by Raymond Dart
• Taung, South Africa
• Gracile australopith

Homo habilis/rudolfensis
Also known as the “handy man/human”
• Earliest members of the genus homo, 2.4 MYA

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 o Habilis like fossils were also found in Africa, however they exhibited slight
variations of the cranium and post cranial remains. Some researchers refer to
these habilis like fossils as Homo rudolfensis.
Homo erectus
• Also known as: “upright man/human” - “upright man/human”
o Erectus means to be “set upright”
• Discovered by: Eugene Dubois, 1891
• First fossils to be found outside of Africa; Indonesia
• First to have controlled fire
o Evidence from Zhoukoudian, China (debatable at this site).
• Originally named: Pithecanthropus erectus; later re-named: “homo erectus” by
Raymond Dart

Neanderthals
• First Neanderthals remains found, 1856, were thought to be that of a cave bear
o Also known as: homo neanderthalensis
• Excellent large game hunters; used thrusting spears; very elaborate stone tools
• First known to have buried their dead. Dead was buried in a “flexed” position
• First to have exploited marine resources
• The majority of Neanderthal fossils have been found in Europe
• Larger brains; adaptation to living in a cold climate (1520 cc)

Homo floresiensis
• Also known as “Hobbits”
• Classified as late surviving homo erectus
• Found on the island of Flores, east of Java
o Smaller in size; may be due to “insular dwarfing” microcephaly also
proposed; argued to be too rare to have affected the whole population.

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