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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. How do the heads of major workers compare to the heads of minor workers?

2. What gender of ants typically makes up an ant colony?

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

4. Which of the following is NOT a theory of polygynus discussed in the novel?

5. Which of the following is NOT an example of ritualized communication?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do various ant species, as discussed in this novel, protect their nests from spiders?

2. Why does Wilson think vertebrate animals are heavily favored in science books?

3. How do Idaho harvester ants exhibit altruistic behavior?

4. What are "Tramp Species" of ants?

5. Why is communication between ants important during transportation?

6. What are some of the ways ant colonies control the numbers of queens present in their colony?

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

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

9. What realization did scientists make about the Myrmica ants ability to differentiate larvae from eggs?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the study of kin recognition, scientists performed studies on various other animals and insects in the attempt of understanding how colonized animals recognize one another in a swarm. Choose two studies that did not involve ant colonies and explain their findings in regards to kin recognition. Explain how these two studies affected the way ant kinship was understood.

Essay Topic 2

There are many ways that ants within a colony recognize one another and differentiate between friend and foe. Explain the most common ways ants recognize each other within a colony. Then explain to two main ways through which ants learn to recognize their colony. Finally, explain the controversy surrounding Jaffe and Sanchez's discovery of the gland that produces colony odor. How has this affected how scientists view kin recognition?

Essay Topic 3

Ants communicate with one another in a variety of ways, and for a variety of purposes. List at least eight of the twelve categories of ant communication and explain which of these is the most common in ant colonies. Explain the four different ways through which ants communicate using their bodies, and describe each method of communication.

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