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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Do one-celled animals seem to have purpose and intention, according to the author?
(a) No, except under unusual circumstances.
(b) No, they seem to behave without purpose.
(c) Yes, they must have some sort of mindful intention.
(d) Yes, but they only appear to be purposeful.

2. What example of the type of valued human behavior that perhaps influences people to believe in group selection does Dawkins give?
(a) Giving to a charitable organization to prevent world hunger.
(b) Asking people to go to war to protect their country.
(c) Volunteering for community service.
(d) Getting a job to beneift one's family.

3. Why does Dawkins say individuals within a species interact more with each other than with other species?
(a) Because they need each other to survive.
(b) Because they are more easily recognizable to each other since they are similar.
(c) Because they inhabit the same habitat.
(d) Because they compete for the same resources using the same tools.

4. What type of animal brains does Dawkins say are most successful?
(a) Animal brains that can communicate quickly.
(b) Animal brains that can learn.
(c) Animal brians that can creat instinctive action.
(d) Animal brians that can analyze input.

5. What apparently selfish act of gulls does the author describe?
(a) Stealing another gull's nest.
(b) "Ditching" the rest of the flock when a predator is spotted.
(c) Eating others' baby chicks.
(d) Fighting for fish.

6. What happens in inversion?
(a) DNA is inserted backwards in a chromosome.
(b) A gene is inserted backwards on a strand of DNA.
(c) A nucleotide is inserted backwards in DNA.
(d) Chromosomes are inserted backwards in a cell nucleus.

7. In Dawkins' description, how does a bully behave?
(a) A bully acts aggressively and always fights.
(b) A bully acts aggressively but then always backs down.
(c) A bully acts aggressively but never confronts an opponent.
(d) A bully acts aggressively but only follows through with weak opponents.

8. What would molecules that started to manufacture energy using the sun eventually become?
(a) Single-celled organisms.
(b) Inorganic materials.
(c) Animals.
(d) Plants.

9. 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 a reasonable alternative hypothesis.
(b) As unscientific.
(c) As fundamental to evolution.
(d) As probable.

10. Why does Dawkins say kind or cooperative behavior arises?
(a) Because other kind or cooperative behavior promotes it.
(b) Because it promotes the good of the whole species.
(c) Because other factors besides natural selection are in play.
(d) Because it allows a gene to achieve a selfish goal.

11. What happens to animals that tend to lose in fights?
(a) They tend to challenge less dominant rivals in the future.
(b) They tend to fight more aggressively in the future.
(c) They tend to change their fighting strategies.
(d) They tend to give up sooner in the future.

12. What would molecules that broke down other self-copying molecules and used their parts eventually become?
(a) Plants.
(b) Inorganic materials.
(c) Single-celled organisms.
(d) Animals.

13. Does the author believe that genetically inherited traits cannot be changed?
(a) Yes, he believes that genetically inherited traits are unchangeable, but they don't govern all behavior.
(b) Yes, he believes genetically inherited traits cover all behavior and are unchangeable.
(c) No, he believes that genetically inherited traits are only vague predispositions that are easily and commonly changed.
(d) No, he does not believe genetically inherited traits are impossible to change.

14. What molecules does Dawkins say existed in ancient seas and formed amino acids?
(a) Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur, and amonia.
(b) Methane, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
(c) Water, carbon dioxide, methane, and amonia.
(d) Water, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sulfur.

15. To what does Dawkins compare ESS conclusions about individual behaviors within a species?
(a) Cell development within an organ.
(b) Species behavior within an ecosystem.
(c) DNA development within chromosomes.
(d) Gene development within DNA.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does ESS stand for?

2. How many nucleotide chains are in DNA?

3. According to Dawkins, are the self-copying molecules that Dawkins discusses "life" or not?

4. How does the author define intelligent life?

5. What kind of animals does the intruder retreat experiment by Niko Tinbergen use?

(see the answer keys)

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