Global Unit 1 test

Why are humans bipedal, per Kevin Hunt's theory?

Climate change ~6.5 million years ago made Africa drier; ancestors were stuck in areas with short, dry trees. Standing up let them reach food in low branches (didn't work in tall forests). Bipedalism came first, tool use followed ~1.5 million years later once hands were free to carry things.

Why couldn't Nim Chimpsky (the signing chimp) fully learn language, per researchers?

He learned vocabulary (125 words) but not syntax — word order didn't change meaning for him ("give orange me" = "give me orange"). Language needs both vocab AND syntax; chimps lack the second part.

What is "theory of mind" and why does Herb Terrace think it separates humans from chimps?

Theory of mind = ability to infer another being's mental state (happy, sad, wanting something). Terrace argues chimps only use "imperative" language (demanding things), while humans developed "declarative" language (sharing info for its own sake) — which requires assuming your listener has a mind that can understand you.

How genetically different are humans and chimps?

About 1.23% different, nucleotide-for-nucleotide — roughly 40 million DNA differences, split between mutations on the human line and the chimp line since they diverged.

Rank the 5 hominids by advancement, least to most (per your ranking worksheet)

Australopithecus afarensis (least) → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Homo sapiens neanderthalensis → Homo sapiens sapiens (most)

What's the key skill jump between Homo habilis and Homo erectus?

Homo erectus controlled fire (cooking, heat) and made more advanced stone tools including hand axes; habilis only sharpened stones for basic hunting/butchering, no fire.

What's the key difference between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens sapiens?

Neanderthals: basic spoken language, buried dead with symbolic markings, stocky/short-limbed. Sapiens sapiens: advanced spoken language, art (carvings/cave paintings), funeral rituals with belief in afterlife, slender/tall build.

What physical trait is shared by every hominid on the ranking chart, even the least advanced?

Bipedalism — even Australopithecus afarensis (under 4 feet, ape-sized brain) already walked upright on two legs. Upright walking came before big brains or tools.

Name the 3 major ecological transformations (Goudsblom) and roughly when each happened

1. Domestication of fire (~400,000 years ago) 2. Agriculture/animal husbandry (~10,000 years ago) 3. Industrialization (~200 years ago)

How did fire economically benefit early human societies? (per Goudsblom)

Made more food edible via cooking (destroyed toxins/tough fibers), helped clear land for easier hunting/gathering, and could be used to shape tools (sharpening wood, shaping bone/antler).

How did fire socially benefit early human societies?

Provided protection from cold/dark/predators, became a focus for group gathering, and "enhanced communication and solidarity" — fire-lit gatherings likely strengthened group bonds.

What does Jared Diamond argue was "the worst mistake in the history of the human race"?

The adoption of agriculture. He argues it caused malnutrition, shorter lifespan, more disease (from crowding), social inequality, and worse health overall compared to hunter-gatherer life — even though it supported far more people.

What evidence does Diamond use to support "agriculture made health worse"?

Skeletal evidence: average height DROPPED after agriculture (5'9" men pre-agriculture down to 5'3" by 3000 BC). Dickson Mounds skeletons show a 50% increase in malnutrition markers and 4x increase in anemia after switching to farming.

Per Diamond, why could agriculture support class divisions/kings that hunting-gathering couldn't?

Hunter-gatherers have no stored surplus or concentrated food source, so no one can hoard it. Farmers CAN store surplus (grain, herds), which lets a small non-producing elite seize and control it.

What is the Hyperactive Agent Detection Device, and how does it relate to the origin of art/religion?

A proposed evolutionary bias where humans (and other animals) default to assuming an event was caused by an intentional "agent" (a person, spirit, god) rather than chance — even when it's wrong. One theory for why humans developed religious belief and symbolic art. NOTE: this is general background knowledge, not confirmed against your slides — verify wording with your teacher's version.

What is culture, based on the Orca reading, and how does that definition apply to humans?

"A suite of behaviors that animals learn from one another" rather than pure instinct — passed down through groups (e.g., orca pods have different dialects and food preferences based on what group they're raised in, not genetics). Same logic applies to human culture: learned and transmitted, not hardwired.

Why can adhering too strictly to culture be risky? (per the Orca reading)

Orca resident pods refuse to eat abundant alternative food (sockeye/pink salmon) because their culture prefers scarce chinook, and social norms prevent breeding outside the group — creating starvation risk and inbreeding despite plenty of orcas worldwide.

Compare Paleolithic and Neolithic diets/lifestyles

Paleolithic: nomadic, hunting/gathering, varied wild diet, no permanent settlements. Neolithic: settled, farming domesticated plants/animals, less varied starchy diet, permanent villages, food surplus and storage.

What is "unnatural selection" in the context of the Neolithic Revolution?

Humans selectively breeding plants/animals for traits THEY want (bigger fruit, docile animals) rather than traits favored by natural survival pressure — humans replacing nature as the selecting force.

What is teosinte and why does it matter to the Neolithic Revolution?

The wild ancestor plant of modern corn/maize — a small, mostly inedible grass that humans selectively bred over generations into a major domesticated food crop. Example of unnatural selection/domestication of plants in action.

Why isn't Catal Huyuk considered a "full-blown civilization" despite being advanced for its time?

It lacked features that usually define a civilization — no writing system, no formal government/ruling class structure, no distinct social hierarchy with elites, and unusual design (no streets/doors, roof-entry only) rather than organized urban planning.

What is job specialization and where does it show up at Catal Huyuk?

People no longer all did the same subsistence tasks — some became dedicated toolmakers, potters, basket-makers, trading their specialized goods with surrounding settlements instead of everyone farming/hunting for themselves.

What role did climate change play in the shift from hunting/gathering to agriculture?

As the Ice Age ended (~10,000 years ago), climate stabilized/warmed, which changed which plants and animals were available in a given region — creating both the opportunity (viable wild grains to domesticate) and pressure (populations rising, needing more reliable food) that pushed groups toward farming.

What's the difference between the "progressivist" view of agriculture and Diamond's view?

Progressivist: agriculture = obvious improvement, more food/leisure/art. Diamond's counter: skeletal evidence shows worse nutrition, shorter lifespan, more disease, and new inequality — he argues the "improvement" story ignores this hard evidence.

Why do humans have different skin colors, tied to survival/environment?

General pattern (verify exact wording from your Race documentary notes): skin pigmentation adapted to regional sunlight levels — more melanin (darker skin) evolved near the equator for protection from UV radiation, less melanin (lighter skin) evolved farther from the equator to allow more vitamin D synthesis from limited sunlight.