'Study of human societies and cultures from the oldest times to the present' is the work of

The correct answer is B, Anthropologists. Anthropology, from the Greek 'anthropos' (human) and 'logos' (study), is the science of human beings: how societies and cultures began, how they changed and how people live today. It covers the whole span from the earliest humans to present-day communities, which is exactly what the question describes. Its main branches are physical or biological anthropology, social and cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology and archaeology, which many universities treat as one of its parts. Option A is wrong because archaeologists study the human past through material remains such as tools, pottery and buildings recovered by excavation; they do not study living societies. Option C is wrong because palaeontologists study fossils of ancient plants and animals, including dinosaurs, not human cultures. Option D is wrong because geologists study the Earth's rocks, minerals and the processes that shape them. Exam tip: anthropology = humans and cultures; archaeology = material remains; palaeontology = fossils; geology = rocks.