Physical Anthropology

Physical Anthropology Quiz Crafted by - 

Dr. Preeti Singh

Assistant Professor

Department of Anthropology

National P.G College, Lucknow, U.P.

Introduction to Forensic Anthropology 

Physical or biological anthropology deals with the evolution of humans, their variability, and adaptations to environmental stresses. Using an evolutionary perspective, we examine not only the physical form of humans - the bones, muscles, and organs - but also how it functions to allow survival and reproduction. Within the field of physical anthropology there are many different areas of focus. Paleoanthropology studies the evolution of primates and hominids from the fossil record and from what can be determined through comparative anatomy and studies of social structure and behavior from our closest living relatives. Primatologists study prosimians, monkeys and apes, using this work to understand the features that make each group distinct and those that link groups together. Skeletal biology concentrates on the study of anatomically modern humans, primarily from archaeological sites, and aims to understand the diseases and conditions these past people experienced prior to dying. Forensic anthropologists use the study of skeletal biology to assist in the identification and analysis of more recently deceased individuals. Such cases often involve complex legal considerations. Human biologists concentrate on contemporary humans, examining not only their anatomy and physiology but also their reproduction and the effects of social status and other factors on their growth and development.

Let's look at the questions and answer with their explanation. 

Que 1. A dental structure found in some mammals, comprising a group of front teeth arranged in a manner that facilitates grooming, is found in

a) African Antelopes

b) Hyraxes 

c) Lemuriforms

d) All the above

Answer - d) All the above

Explanation  - The front teeth (incisors) in these animals are in the form of hair comb, used for grooming purposes.

Que 2. A feature of the negro lower jaw is its retention of a vestige, a bony region immediately behind the incisors, a distinguishing characteristic of apes, and it is absent in Whites.

a) Simian shelf

b) Ischial callosities

c) Prognathism

d) Simian crease

Answer - a) Simian shelf

Explanation  -  It is a feature in mandible, generally found in apes, absent in other modern sapiens, except negroids, who still retain it to a great extent.

Que 3. Highly repetitive DNA, short sequences, often in enormous clusters end to end with no known genetic or other function is

a) Genome

b) Satellites 

c) Electrophoresis

d) None of the above

Answer - b) Satellites 

Explanation  - sequences of DNA of 10 – 60 base pairs, used in DNA fingerprinting for analysing the closeness or variations between individuals.

Que 4. Euphenics is 

a) Interfere after lethal or deleterious genes have expressed in an individual and tries to minimize its effects.

b) Interfere at the inheritance of genes either by encouraging or by discouraging lethal or deleterious genes 

c) Enhancing the quality of the environment, so as to encourage better genes.

d) None 

Answer - a) Interfere after lethal or deleterious genes have expressed in an individual and tries to minimize its effects.

Que 5. An example of autosomal dominant inheritance is

a) Haemophilia

b) Thalassemia

c) Huntington’s disease

d) Sickle cell

Answer - c) Huntington’s disease

Explanation  -  It's a disease which causes progressive degeneration of nervous system. Onset age can be 40 yrs- 60 or more.

Que 6. Flow cytometry is method of 

a) Gene sequencing

b) HLA 

c) Chromosomal analysis

d) RNA sequencing

Answer - c) Chromosomal analysis

Explanation -  Fluorescent activated cell sorting uses fluorescent dyes. Flow cytometry is a popular cell biology technique that utilizes laser-based technology to count, sort, and profile cells in a heterogeneous fluid mixture. Rapid karyotyping is possible.

Que 7. An effect that comes into play when a natural calamity removes a good number of populations, so that the population again grows from residual population is due to

a) Gene fixation

b) Hybridization

c) Mutation 

d) none

Answer - a) Gene fixation

Explanation  - Bottleneck effect is cause by genetic drift/ gene fixation .eg – glycogen storage related diseases in S.E. Asian Islands

Que 8. To define a group as race which of the ingredients are included

a) Biological concept & Genetic differences

b) Reproductive isolation

c) Group of people or population

d) All the above

Answer - d)  All the above

Explanation  - Although no true races exist but even then a mendelian population having all the above mentioned features can be termed as race.

Que 9. Main proponents of Negrito elements in India were

a) Majumdar & Sarkar 

b) Hutton & Guha

c) Lapicque & Quatrefages

d) None of these

Answer - b) Hutton & Guha

Explanation  - Hutton & Guha studied Anāgāmi nagas & Kadar of S. India to support their views. But got confused between woolly and frizzly hairs with that of curly hairs of tribes of south India, a feature of Australoids.

Que 10. Somato- typing of human physique into endomorphy, mesomorphy & ectomorphy was done by 

a) Viola

b) Kretschmer

c) Morgan

d) Sheldon

Answer - d) Sheldon

Explanation  - Human constitution has been studied by scholars to understand many other characteristic features in humans like physique, disease, behaviour, crime and criminals etc.

Que 11. Which of these can rotate their head at 180° and has saltatory movement as well?

a) Lemurs

b) Cebus monkey

c) Tarsiers

d) Loris & Indri

Answer - c) Tarsiers

Explanation - Tarsiers  are small prosimians that are nocturnal and completely arboreal . found in Malayan islands. Have frog like leaping movements.

Que 12. Proconsul major, proconsul nyanzee & proconsul africanus are different forms of 

a) Dendropithecus

b) Ramapithecus

c) Dryopithecus

d) Australopithecus

Answer - c) Dryopithecus

Explanation - Dryopithecus combines the characters of monkeys, apes and man. Has Y-5 pattern in molar tooth, resembling man.

Que 13. An occupational health disease resulting from inhalation of cotton fibre dust is

a) Byssinosis

b) Siderosis

c) Anthracosis

d) Tobaccoisis

Answer - a) Byssinosis

Explanation - Byssinosis is a respiratory disorder caused by working in textile industries. About 20% of mill workers are victims of byssinoisis. 

Que 14. African Java & Peking man fossils are type of

a) Homo Neanderthalensis

b) Australopithecinae

c) Ramapithecus

d) Pithecanthropus erectus

Answer - d) Pithecanthropus erectus

Explanation - Pithecanthropus erectus also known as homo erectus, ranged across Africa, into Eurasia from over 1.6 to 0.12 mya. First ape man who stood erect, hence the name.

Que 15. Fossils of Tabun & Amud belong to 

a) Progressive Neanderthal

b) Rhodesian man

c) Fontechevade skulls 

d) Swanscombe skulls

Answer - a) Progressive Neanderthal

Explanation - Progressive Neanderthal belong to progressive Neanderthal, from Israel. They had more modern sapiens like features, no muzzle and no occipital torus. Existed from 120 lakhs yrs. before to 50,000yrs ago.