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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Dawkins say points to the idea that all living things come from the same types of early molecules?
(a) All life forms have basic cell structures.
(b) All life forms are made from DNA molecules.
(c) All life forms are based on carbon.
(d) All life forms have similar pH balances.

2. What two opposites does Dawkins say he is examining the biology of?
(a) Individuality and community.
(b) Self-centeredness and other-centeredness.
(c) Selfishness and altruism.
(d) Rationality and emotionalism.

3. What apparently selfish act of the praying mantis does the author describe?
(a) Injuring another mantis that enters a claimed territory.
(b) A female eating her mate.
(c) Fighting over an aphid colony.
(d) Leading another mantis into a spider's web.

4. 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.

5. What does Dawkins describe life forms as?
(a) Simple enlargements of self-copying molecules.
(b) Projections of self-copying molecules into a new dimension.
(c) Multiplications of self-copying molecules.
(d) Machines to protect competing self-copying molecules.

Short Answer Questions

1. What would give longevity to early self-duplicating molecules, according to Dawkins?

2. What does Dawkins postulate maintains sexual reproduction as a feature?

3. In the set of bees Dawkins mentions that deal with this disease, what does a second gene the bees have do?

4. What did scientists do to test the genes that controlled bee behavior?

5. In Dawkins' examine of ESS simulations, what two kinds of creatures are there?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to genes in sexual reproduction?

2. What does Dawkins say would happen if a selfish member of a species were born into a species of unselfish members?

3. According to Dawkins, what happened to self-copying molecules that were less successful?

4. Explain why Dawkins speculates that cannibalism might make sense within his selfish gene theory.

5. How do animals become active and quicker than plants?

6. How do genes directly and indirectly control behavior?

7. Explain what a prober-retaliator is.

8. How does Dawkins view whether fidelity is important to evolution?

9. How are the beginning and end of genes in DNA marked?

10. Why doesn't Dawkins find it statistically remarkable that an early molecule would arise that would copy itself?

(see the answer keys)

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