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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the behavior called stotting, where do Thompson gazelles jump?
(a) Into the center of the pack.
(b) In front of a rival.
(c) Over a natural obstacle.
(d) In front of a predator.

2. According to the relatedness calculations in the book, how related is a person to him- or herself?
(a) By ten.
(b) By one.
(c) By zero.
(d) By a hundred.

3. What does Medawar's study conclude?
(a) Older women are not good at distinguishing when a child costs too many resources.
(b) Older women are better with young children and worse with older children.
(c) Older women are not as good at raising children.
(d) Older women are better at making choices between offspring.

4. In the natural world, which gender does Dawkins identify as more likely to select the other for breeding?
(a) Males tend to select females for breeding.
(b) Females tend to select males for breeding.
(c) Species are split about halfway on which gender selects the other for breeding.
(d) Species tend to have both selective females and selective males, which are individuals that select another for breeding.

5. What does Dawkins point out about different species' attitude toward offspring?
(a) Different species treat offspring differently.
(b) Different species all care for offspring equally, if environment is accounted for.
(c) Different species fall into two categories of caring for offspring.
(d) Different species care for offspring similarly, but there is great variety between individuals within species.

6. How does the author suggest that bird calls might help a bird that is trying to hide by freezing to camouflage itself?
(a) The call might cause the rest of the flock to freeze and not attract attention.
(b) The call might cause the rest of the flock to fly and distract predators.
(c) The call might allow the bird to focus and remain quiet for a longer period of time.
(d) The call might be hard to pinpoint and therefore distract predators.

7. According to Dawkins, how common is it for males to help raise the young?
(a) It is the most likely scenario, with some exceptions.
(b) It never occurs in nature.
(c) It occurs in nature, but is not always the case.
(d) It always happens to some extent.

8. What ant behavior does Dawkins give as an example of seemingly altruistic behavior?
(a) Throwing itself in front of predators.
(b) Bringing food back to other ants without eating.
(c) Hanging from a ceiling as a living food pack.
(d) Running into a burning anthill to retrieve others' eggs.

9. What does Dawkins demonstrate using the net benefit score?
(a) That it is to an organism's genes' benefit to alert family members of a predator.
(b) That it is to an organism's genes' benefit to alert family members to poisonous food sources.
(c) That it is to an organism's genes' benefit to show relatives that food is available.
(d) That it is to an organism's genes' benefit to alert family members to natural hazards.

10. According to the relatedness calculations in the book, is a child more closely related to a sibling or an uncle?
(a) A sibling.
(b) It's impossible to compare.
(c) The child is equally related to both.
(d) An uncle.

11. How does the author suggest that bird calls might help a bird that is trying to fly up into the trees?
(a) The call might cause other birds to call and hide the noise of the bird's wings.
(b) The call might frighten away other birds in the tree the bird is flying to.
(c) The call might be hard to pinpoint and therefore distract predators.
(d) The call might cause other birds to fly and confuse any predators.

12. According to the relatedness calculations in the book, how much more closely related is a child to a sibling than a half-sibling?
(a) The child is four times as closely related to the sibling.
(b) The child is one an a half times as closely related to the sibling.
(c) The child is three times as closely related to the sibling.
(d) The child is twice as closely related to the sibling.

13. According to the relatedness calculations in the book, how closely related is an individual to a cousin?
(a) One-eighth.
(b) One-sixth.
(c) One-quarter.
(d) One.

14. What did Spanish researchers see a baby swallow do?
(a) Gather other chicks into a circle to surround and kill a magpie chick.
(b) Alert parents to a magpie in the nest.
(c) Steal food from a magpie chick in the nest and give it to siblings.
(d) Use leverage to throw a magpie egg out of its nest.

15. To what does Dawkins attribute a male backing down from a powerful rival over territory?
(a) The abundance of other territories that might be claimed.
(b) Self-preservation to more likely breed in the future.
(c) The desire to preserve the species.
(d) The desire not to over-compete with a rival's young.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Dawkins' game theory analysis of a colony of birds and ticks, what were grudger birds?

2. What is a female bird doing, according to Dawkins, by forcing the male to make a nest before she breeds with him?

3. What does Dawkins cite Medawar's study to help explain?

4. What does Dawkins speculate that cuckoo chicks might do?

5. How does a mother protecting a child promote the selfish gene theory?

(see the answer keys)

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