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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the fastest way to increase the size of an ant colony?

2. How many queen ants do the Formica Yessensis of Japan have in one colony?

3. What are repletes concerned with?

4. How do ants communicate?

5. Which of the following scientists pointed out that colonies of social insects tend to be more harmonious when the members are all closely related?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens during the ergonomic stage of an ant colony?

2. How have leafcutter ants altered the landscape in which they live?

3. What defense mechanism is unique to the Asian ant species known as Camponotus Saundersi?

4. What claim of colony odor did scientists Jaffe and Sanchez make in 1984?

5. What is a "super colonial" ant colony?

6. What factors affect the success of foraging within an ant colony?

7. What are barrack nests?

8. How do ant colonies succeed in securing true slavery?

9. How are ant colonies defined?

10. What are "Tramp Species" of ants?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Leafcutter ants are among one of the most interesting and well studies species of ants in the world. Describe what characteristics make a leafcutter ant unique. Summarize at least one major study of leafcutter ants that was presented in the text. Finally, explain how an ant garden functions. How gardens affect the lives of leafcutter ants.

Essay Topic 2

Ants in the text have various types of nests they live in and build. Create a list of nest making strategies discussed in the text. Choose the nest making strategy you find most interesting, and describe it in as much detail as possible. Finally, explain the motivations behind this nest making strategy. Why does this particular ant species build this particular type of nest?

Essay Topic 3

Kin selection is an important part of ant colony success. Describe the two main arguments to kin selection as given by Darwin and Hamilton. How did their opinions of kin selection differ? Finally, explain the two main hypotheses surrounding kin selection - Mutualism, and Parental Manipulation. How have these hypothesis affected understanding of kin selection as a whole?

(see the answer keys)

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