Explain some of the reasons why the human species has been able to expand in number and distribution to a greater extent than most other animals.

Genetic diversity in living human populations is highest in Africa and decreases as a function of distance traveled by the human migration that left Africa many millennia ago. Draw a graph to show this trend. (Hint: What is the independent variable? What is the dependent variable? What kind of graph is appropriate for this kind of data? Add a label where you would expect to find a data point for the Yanomamö tribe of the Amazon rain forest in South America. Why is it important to use indigenous people for this study?

One of the misconceptions about human evolution is expressed in the question 'If chimpanzees were our ancestors, then why do chimpanzees still exist?' Use Figure 19.10A to explain the answer.

What adaptations inherited from our primate ancestors enable humans to make and use tools?

Summarize the hypotheses that explain variation in human skin color as adaptations to variation in UV radiation.

Anthropologists are interested in locating areas in Africa where fossils 4–8 million years old might be found. Why?

SCIENTIFIC THINKING By measuring the fossil remains of Homo floresiensis, scientists have estimated its weight to be around 32.5 kg and its brain volume to be roughly 420 cm3. Plot these values on the graph in Figure 19.13A. Which hominin has the most similar relationship of brain volume to body mass? Does this information support the hypothesis that H. floresiensis is a dwarf form of H. erectus, or an alternative hypothesis? Explain.

Analysis of DNA from a variety of sources has led most researchers to agree that __________.

What was the earliest hominin to have an enlarged brain (relative to body size)?