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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Dawkins call the molecule that he imagines as the first molecule to make copies of itself?
(a) The replicator.
(b) The chicken-and-egg molecule.
(c) The proto-RNA.
(d) The duplicator.

2. What does the Watt Governor machine regulate?
(a) How fast its arms spin.
(b) How high it rises.
(c) How heavy it becomes.
(d) How hot it becomes.

3. What is the smallest unit that is reproduced and carried on through natural selection?
(a) A gene.
(b) A chromosome.
(c) A cell.
(d) A DNA strand.

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

5. How does Darwin characterize the idea that the goal of evolution is for a species to survive, so individuals will take actions that are good for the species?
(a) As unscientific.
(b) As fundamental to evolution.
(c) As probable.
(d) As a reasonable alternative hypothesis.

6. In Dawkins' description, how does a retaliator behave?
(a) A retaliator waits to see what will happen and then reacts through a code of rules.
(b) A retaliator mimics the behavior of the creature it encounters.
(c) A retaliator appears to be a hawk but acts like a dove.
(d) A retaliator appears to be a dove but acts like a hawk.

7. In the set of bees Dawkins mentions that deal with this disease, what does one gene the bees have do?
(a) Cause the bees to withhold honey from sick baby bees.
(b) Cause the bees to overfeed sick baby bees.
(c) Cause the bees to open cells where sick baby bees are.
(d) Cause the bees to sting sick baby bees.

8. What is the most stable type of behavior in the computer simulations of ESS?
(a) Retaliator.
(b) Dove.
(c) Hawk.
(d) Bully.

9. How does Dawkins define communication?
(a) A gene behavior that allows cooperation between multiple gene machines.
(b) A mutually learned behavior resulting from genetic behaviors that help groups of gene machines maintain cohesiveness.
(c) A gene behavior that helps one group of genes survive by influencing the behavior of another.
(d) A learned behavior that is founded in genetic behaviors linking multiple gene machines.

10. What would competition between early self-copying molecules be over?
(a) Water.
(b) Gaseous molecules.
(c) Space.
(d) Building-block molecules.

11. What fundamental question does Dawkins want to consider?
(a) Why does DNA exist?
(b) Why do genes exist?
(c) Why do molecules exist?
(d) Why do people exist?

12. What kind of animals does the intruder retreat experiment by Niko Tinbergen use?
(a) Fish.
(b) Worms.
(c) Birds.
(d) Rats.

13. If two genes normally cooperate, what happens when one gene is missing?
(a) The other gene no longer has any effect.
(b) The other gene still causes the same total result.
(c) The other gene still has an effect, but the total result is not the same.
(d) The other gene still causes the same total result but intermittently.

14. What does ESS stand for?
(a) Evolutionarily Successful Strategy.
(b) Engineered Survival Strategy.
(c) Environmental Secure Strategy.
(d) Evolutionary Stable Strategy.

15. Which cells in an organism contain the creature's DNA?
(a) Paraxial cells.
(b) Interstitial cells.
(c) Barrier funciton cells.
(d) All of them.

Short Answer Questions

1. When a cell creates a sperm cell or egg cell with reduced DNA, what is the process called?

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

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

4. In the science fiction story Dawkins cites, who sends instructions through time?

5. What molecules does Dawkins say existed in ancient seas and formed amino acids?

(see the answer keys)

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