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Meet the Ancestors Trivia Quiz

Apes and humans are believed to have evolved from common ancestors. How much do you know about the history of human evolution?

A multiple-choice quiz by jamesf. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
jamesf

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
262,883

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
2279

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 47 (5/10), Guest 93 (6/10), matthewpokemon (7/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which Order of mammals do humans belong to? Hint

Hominidae

Carnivora

Primates

Ceboidea

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Question 2 of 10

2. Fossils of Australopithecus are believed to be ancestors of modern humans. In which part of the world were they found? Hint

Australia

Africa

Asia

Europe

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which of these fossil species is the oldest? Hint

Australopithecus robustus

Australopithecus afarensis

Homo habilis

Homo erectus

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of these animals is classified as being most closely related to humans? Hint

orang-utan

baboon

leaf monkey

lemur

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which of these is a way in which the early fossil skulls of Homo sapiens differ from the skulls of Homo habilis? Hint

Homo sapiens has a more protruding lower jaw.

Homo sapiens has a smaller chin.

Homo sapiens has more pronounced brow ridges.

Homo sapiens has a less sloping forehead.

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Question 6 of 10

6. Homo erectus may have evolved from Homo habilis. Which of these represents an important behavioural advance in Homo erectus, compared to Homo habilis? Hint

Ability to walk on two legs

Building shelters to live in

Using tools (such as sharpened flints) for cutting meat

Use of fire for heating and cooking

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Question 7 of 10

7. Different types of tools were used by different species of Homo, and palaeontologists give these tools different names. Which of these types of tool is the oldest? Hint

Acheulian

Microlith

Mousterian

Oldowan

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Question 8 of 10

8. How old are the rocks in which the species Homo sapiens first appears in the fossil record? Hint

About 40 million years old

About 40 000 years old

About 300 000 years old

About 4 million years old

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Question 9 of 10

9. Fossil skulls of Homo habilis show signs of the development of a region in the brain called Broca's area. This is evidence that Homo habilis did what - ? Hint

lived in trees

walked on two legs

used language

had an opposable thumb

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which of these lines of evidence can help to show an evolutionary relationship between humans and other primates? Hint

Immunological studies

Amino acid sequencing

DNA hybridisation

All of these

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which Order of mammals do humans belong to?

Answer: Primates

Primates is the order of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys and lemurs. Carnivora (carnivores) is the order that includes dogs, cats, etc. Ceboidea is a "super-family", and includes the New World monkeys (spider-monkeys, marmosets, etc). Hominidae includes humans, but is a family and not an order: it is a group within the Primates.

2. Fossils of Australopithecus are believed to be ancestors of modern humans. In which part of the world were they found?

Answer: Africa

It sounds like Australia, but the name Australopithecus just means "Southern Ape". Fossils of Australopithecus have been found in southern and eastern Africa.

3. Which of these fossil species is the oldest?

Answer: Australopithecus afarensis

Australopithecus afarensis appears in rocks estimated at between 2.5 and 4 million years old. Australopithecus robustus appears from about 2.6 million years ago. Homo habilis and Homo erectus both come later.

4. Which of these animals is classified as being most closely related to humans?

Answer: orang-utan

Orang-utans and humans are both classified as Hominoids (apes). Leaf monkeys and baboons are both Old World monkeys. Lemurs are relatively primitive primates, and (except in zoos) are found only on the island of Madagascar.

5. Which of these is a way in which the early fossil skulls of Homo sapiens differ from the skulls of Homo habilis?

Answer: Homo sapiens has a less sloping forehead.

Compared to Homo habilis (our ancestor from about one million years ago), Homo sapiens has a longer skull, with a more upright forehead. The jaw is less protruding, but has more of a chin. Brow ridges become less prominent.

6. Homo erectus may have evolved from Homo habilis. Which of these represents an important behavioural advance in Homo erectus, compared to Homo habilis?

Answer: Use of fire for heating and cooking

Homo erectus used fire, probably for cooking, heating and lighting, as well as to frighten off predators. All the others were already characteristics of Homo habilis.

7. Different types of tools were used by different species of Homo, and palaeontologists give these tools different names. Which of these types of tool is the oldest?

Answer: Oldowan

Oldowan tools (named after Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania where they were first discovered) were used by Homo habilis around 2 million years ago. Acheulian tools (from St Acheul in France) were probably used by Homo erectus around 1.5 million years ago. Mousterian tools (from Le Moustier in France) were used by Neanderthal Man. Microliths are the latest and most sophisticated of the tools, and were used by Homo sapiens.

8. How old are the rocks in which the species Homo sapiens first appears in the fossil record?

Answer: About 300 000 years old

The Australopithecines and Homo habilis evolved about 2.5 million years ago, but Homo sapiens doesn't appear until around 300,000 years ago.

9. Fossil skulls of Homo habilis show signs of the development of a region in the brain called Broca's area. This is evidence that Homo habilis did what - ?

Answer: used language

Broca's area in the modern human brain is the region that processes language. If Homo habilis had a similar area, then it suggests at least some use of language in that species too.

10. Which of these lines of evidence can help to show an evolutionary relationship between humans and other primates?

Answer: All of these

Modern biochemical techniques have done a lot to validate traditional evolutionary theory. Amino-acid sequencing compares the structures of proteins in related species. DNA hybridisation compares the genetic code sequences of these species. Immunological studies can be used in comparing the proteins found in the blood of different species.

Source: Author jamesf

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