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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 9.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What reason does Dawkins give that animal populations are about 50-50 male and female?
(a) Overlarge female populations purposefully create more males.
(b) Males are overly competitive and destroy each other when the male population is too high.
(c) Dawkins says that a 50-50 ratio is the stable balance of males and females.
(d) Male and female balances shift from generation to generation to average out to 50-50.

2. What does Dawkins say readers can think of DNA as?
(a) A set of general guidelines.
(b) A set of plans.
(c) A computer controling the body.
(d) A dictatorial ruler.

3. When a cell divides to make a new cell with identical DNA, what is the process called?
(a) Mitosis.
(b) Alleles.
(c) Meiosis.
(d) Plasmosis.

4. What does Dawkins describe some female birds demanding from males?
(a) They demand males feed them.
(b) They demand males walk or fly close behind them.
(c) They demand males fight off other birds.
(d) They demand males fight off predators.

5. What animals does the author mention as examples of animals that work hard to rescue or save others?
(a) Baboons and whales.
(b) Lions and dolphins.
(c) Zebras and sharks.
(d) Bears and squids.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why might an older animal be less valuable to selfish genes than young related animals?

2. What is a recessive gene?

3. In Dawkins' metaphor about DNA, what does the bookshelf represent?

4. How does Dawkins postulate that animals judge relatedness?

5. According to the relatedness calculations in the book, how much more closely related is a child to a sibling than a half-sibling?

(see the answer key)

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