Discussion Questions
Reading 5
Anthropology Explored: The Best of Smithsonian AnthroNotes, 2ndedition
SOCI1250 – Introduction to Anthropology
Gary Toth - Instructor
The Emergence of Modern Humans (Reading 5)
Alison S. Brooks
1) Discuss what features differentiate modern humans from earlier archaic forms.
2) Why do you think it is important to study migration patterns?
3) Why is it important to study the Neanderthals?
4) Why do you think that there were great leaps forward in human evolution
outside of Europe before they happened in Europe? How could the environment
be a factor?
5) Compare and contrast the candelabra and hatrack theories. Is there more
evidence to support one or the other?
6) Why is mitochondrial DNA so crucial to the study of evolution? How does it
support the "African Eve" hypothesis?