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

2. From a gene's point of view, what does Dawkins say an organism is equally related to?
(a) A baby brother and a parent's sibling.
(b) A father and a son.
(c) A cousin and a grandparent.
(d) A baby brother and a baby son.

3. What reason does Dawkins give that animal populations are about 50-50 male and female?
(a) Males are overly competitive and destroy each other when the male population is too high.
(b) Male and female balances shift from generation to generation to average out to 50-50.
(c) Dawkins says that a 50-50 ratio is the stable balance of males and females.
(d) Overlarge female populations purposefully create more males.

4. What animals does the author mention as examples of animals that work hard to rescue or save others?
(a) Bears and squids.
(b) Lions and dolphins.
(c) Zebras and sharks.
(d) Baboons and whales.

5. What response does Dawkins give to the idea that birth control is wrong because it's unnatural?
(a) That birth regulation is a survival instinct.
(b) That birth regulation is an evolutionary adaptation.
(c) That feeding the poor is also unnatural.
(d) That human lifestyle is completely unnatural.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Dawkins believe about human population growth?

2. In Dawkins' example, why might an older child give up food for a younger sibling?

3. In the ant colonies studied by Trivers and Hare, what do the ants do with eggs stolen from other colonies?

4. What happens to cuckoo eggs that look dissimilar to the host eggs they replace?

5. Do gulls recognize their own eggs and chicks?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What explanation does Zahavi propose for stotting?

3. What two possible explanations for the behavior of the baby swallow observed by the Spanish researchers does Dawkins present?

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

5. What does Dawkins substitute for survival of a species?

6. What does Dawkins cite that makes human beings exceptions to the idea that genes for having too large a number of children die out?

7. What factors does Dawkins mention that weigh into caring for older versus younger offspring?

8. Why, from the standpoint of the selfish gene, is it more beneficial to save five siblings than five cousins?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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