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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Dawkins compare point mutation to?
(a) A card getting shuffled into the wrong deck.
(b) A misprint on a book.
(c) A misspoken word.
(d) A stray mark on a photocopy.

2. What does Dawkins postulate would preserve a gene forever?
(a) A being that used only one gene.
(b) An undying being continuing to reproduce.
(c) A being that passed on all its DNA through sexual reproduction.
(d) A gene that caused nothing but remained in the DNA.

3. How is male and female responsibility for offspring different in fish?
(a) Females may lay eggs and abandon them, while males fertilize the eggs and are left to care for them.
(b) Females care for the eggs, and when they hatch, they leave the live offspring to the males.
(c) Males and females both leave their fertilized eggs without investing resources in them.
(d) Males care for eggs, and then females take over when the offspring hatches.

4. How common are genes that cause altruistic behaviors in nature?
(a) They are pretty common.
(b) They are nonexistent.
(c) They are extremely rare.
(d) They are vast majority of genes.

5. What does Dawkins postulate maintains sexual reproduction as a feature?
(a) The impossibility of asexual reproduction.
(b) The need for genetic variation.
(c) The desireability of genetic mutations.
(d) The sexual reproduction gene trying to copy itself.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the relatedness calculations in the book, is a child more closely related to a sibling or an uncle?

2. What is a recessive gene?

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

4. What does Dawkins suggest fooling certain genes into thinking the body is younger might do?

5. In Dawkins' metaphor about DNA, what represents a gene?

(see the answer key)

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