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

2. What chance does a parent have of giving a particular gene to a child?
(a) A forty percent chance.
(b) A fifty percent chance.
(c) A sixty percent chance.
(d) A thirty percent chance.

3. What does Dawkins say removes humanity from the cruel and harsh laws of nature?
(a) Humans create environments that protect them from natural laws.
(b) Humans have developed genes for communication, which allows cooperation.
(c) Humans teach children ways to behave and learn better behaviors as adults.
(d) Nothing.

4. In sexual reproduction, what does the larger egg cell have that the smaller sperm cell does not?
(a) A complete set of DNA.
(b) More food reserves for the future embryo.
(c) The ability to protect itself from other cells.
(d) The ability to move around to more beneficial environments.

5. What factors are part of Dawkins' net benefit score?
(a) Benefit to the organism, risk to the other, and relatedness to the other.
(b) Risk to the organism, risk to the other, an relatedness to the other.
(c) Benefit to the organism, risk to the organism, and relatedness to the other.
(d) Benefit to the other, relatedness to the other, and risk to the organism.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What does Dawkins believe about human population growth?

3. In the behavior called stotting, where do Thompson gazelles jump?

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

5. What is a recessive gene?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Hamilton's explanation of how herds are formed?

2. What explanation does Zahavi propose for stotting?

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

4. What is the result of Dawkins' game theory analysis of male and female sexual and childrearing behaviors?

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

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

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

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

9. What theory about parental suffering for children's success does Dawkins describe?

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

(see the answer keys)

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