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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 that Honeyguide chicks do?
(a) Blackmail parents into getting more food by screaming loud enough to attract predators.
(b) Kill other chicks in the nest.
(c) Scream less loud to not attract too much attention to themselves as intruders.
(d) Steal food from other chicks in the nest.

2. In Dawkins' discussion, why do baby birds scream?
(a) To show how hungry they are.
(b) To warn away aggressors.
(c) To attract love from the parent.
(d) To scold sibling birds.

3. Why might an older animal be less valuable to selfish genes than young related animals?
(a) The older animal is certain to have all its genes already represented in a few young, related animals.
(b) The older animal is likely to contain less successful genes than the young related animals.
(c) The older animal's genes are likely to be decayed over time.
(d) The older animal is less likely to reproduce more of the genes.

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

5. What does the study of egg clutch sizes that Dawkins cites show?
(a) That there are detriments and benefits to having a lot of eggs.
(b) That there are only detriments to having a lot of eggs.
(c) That there are only benefits to having a lot of eggs.
(d) That having a lot of eggs is, in the end, exactly the same as having few eggs.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Dawkins, for whom does a bird regulate the number of eggs it lays?

2. What does Medawar's study conclude?

3. What happens to female mice as the population rises to unacceptable limits?

4. How does the author suggest that bird calls might help a bird that is trying to hide by freezing to camouflage itself?

5. What attribute of male birds of paradise does Zahavi say is a kind of boast that even with a dangerous physical characteristic, the bird is strong enough to survive?

Short Essay Questions

1. Does Dawkins agree or disagree with the theory about parental suffering for children's success, and why?

2. Does Dawkins put forth any ideas by Wynne-Edwards that he agrees with?

3. Explain the conflict between Wynne-Edwards and Dawkins over territory behavior.

4. What does higher PI mean, in R.L. Trivers' ideas?

5. What factors does Dawkins mention that affect the human birthrate and population?

6. What explanation does Zahavi propose for stotting?

7. When and why are gulls' offspring in danger?

8. Explain Dawkins' interpretation of the affects of overpopulation on female mice.

9. Why does Dawkins say mothers are more altruistic to their children than fathers?

10. How do Trivers and Dawkins differ in their interpretation of males investing energy into offspring before mating?

(see the answer keys)

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