Anthropology 110

Exam #1 Format

The first exam will be based on course lectures, videos, readings, and class discussions. Make sure to see the updated syllabus on the website for the information covered on the exam. The format of the exam will include the following types of questions:

Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer from the list.

An example:

According to this class, what living primates possess a rudimentary form of “culture”?

a) gorillas

b) chimpanzees

c) orangutans

d) gibbons

e) a & b

f) b & c

Definitions. Write a short definition (one sentence should be all that is needed) for the term.

Examples:

Oldowan Tools

Genealogical Method

Fill-in-the-Blank. Insert the word that best completes the sentence.

Example:

Traits that are similar in structure, but not necessarily in function, which indicate inheritance from a common ancestor are known as _____________ traits.

Matching. These will include two columns of terms (or names of important people or fossil sites) and you will choose the best match.

An example:

Column A Column B

Darwin ____ a) Osteodontokeratic Culture

Dart ____ b) Homo erectus

“Lucy” ____ c) Australopithecus afarensis

First Hominid Species _____ d) Natural Selection

Acheulean Tools ____ e) Australopithecus ramidus

Short Answer. Write a short (generally 1-2 sentences) answer to the question. Make sure to answer as concisely as possible.

Examples:

Briefly describe how ethnography differs from ethnology.

Why was the discovery of hunting and meat eating by chimpanzees at Gombe an important discovery for studies of human evolution?

Short Essay. Write a short essay (roughly 4-5 sentences and no more than half a page) to answer the question(s). Make sure to give specific examples.

An example:

Who was Franz Boas? How did Boas differ from contemporary anthropologists (i.e., other anthropologists in his time) in his methodology and his view of culture?