Chapter Chronology

Quiz for Historical Question: Who Were the First Americans?

Select the best answer for each question. Click the “submit” button for each question to turn in your work.

Question

1. What evidence have archaeologists found to suggest that Paleo-Indians inhabited the Western Hemisphere?

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Correct. The answer is a. Although human skeletal remains from the Paleo-Indian era are extremely rare, the discovery of spear tips from about 13,500 years ago proves that humans must have inhabited the Western Hemisphere at that time.
Incorrect. The answer is a. Although human skeletal remains from the Paleo-Indian era are extremely rare, the discovery of spear tips from about 13,500 years ago proves that humans must have inhabited the Western Hemisphere at that time.

Question

2. What are Clovis points?

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Correct. The answer is b. Clovis points were made by chipping small pieces off of a stone until the stone was sharp enough to kill an animal. They are called Clovis points because they were crafted by Clovis peoples, which some evidence suggests were the first permanent inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Clovis points were made by chipping small pieces off of a stone until the stone was sharp enough to kill an animal. They are called Clovis points because they were crafted by Clovis peoples, which some evidence suggests were the first permanent inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere.

Question

3. Most experts believe it is more likely that pre-Clovis people came from Siberia rather than from Australia or Antarctica because

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Correct. The answer is b. Although some experts hypothesized that the first Americans sailed from Australia or Antarctica, most experts reject this hypothesis because they argue the Pacific Ocean is too large and too rough to make it possible for their small boats to travel all the way across it. By contrast, the Beringian land bridge existed for thousands of years, making it a more likely entry point to the Americas.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Although some experts hypothesized that the first Americans sailed from Australia or Antarctica, most experts reject this hypothesis because they argue the Pacific Ocean is too large and too rough to make it possible for their small boats to travel all the way across it. By contrast, the Beringian land bridge existed for thousands of years, making it a more likely entry point to the Americas.

Question

4. Why does genetic, linguistic, and dental evidence about the origins of the first Americans remain controversial?

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Correct. The answer is b. Although evidence produced through genetic, linguistic, and dental studies is intriguing and suggests an Asian origin of the first Americans, this essay argues that without corroborating archaeological evidence, these findings will not gain widespread acceptance among scholars.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Although evidence produced through genetic, linguistic, and dental studies is intriguing and suggests an Asian origin of the first Americans, this essay argues that without corroborating archaeological evidence, these findings will not gain widespread acceptance among scholars.

Question

5. How can the study of modern Native Americans help experts figure out where the first Americans came from?

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Correct. The answer is c. Experts have started to use linguistic and genetic evidence drawn from modern Native Americans to discover the identity of the first Americans because there is insufficient archaeological evidence alone to prove their identity.
Incorrect. The answer is c. Experts have started to use linguistic and genetic evidence drawn from modern Native Americans to discover the identity of the first Americans because there is insufficient archaeological evidence alone to prove their identity.