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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. How does the author say that human beings think of their own species?

3. What does Dawkins postulate would preserve a gene forever?

4. What apparently unselfish act of a bee does the author describe?

5. What does Dawkins say that evolution is about?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dawkins say would be a natural extension of valuing one's own species more than other species?

2. Describe the behavior of chains of atoms in human blood, as Dawkins describes it.

3. What happens to genes in sexual reproduction?

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

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

6. In ESS simulations, what happens when a hawk enters a stable group of doves?

7. Describe the comparison that Dawkins makes regarding a gangster.

8. Explain Dawkins' argument for why cannibalism is very rare.

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

10. What does Dawkins say about how genes "teach" a behavior to a bee?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the idea of a "gene machine" in The Selfish Gene.

1) Why does Dawkins make genes the dominant idea and organisms secondary to their genes?

2) What causes a "gene machine" to be successful or unsuccessful?

3) What causes change in "gene machines?" Why are they different from one another?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the concept of relatedness in Dawkins' book.

1) What is the relationship between relatedness and altruism? What is its relationship to selfishness?

2) How does Dawkins calculate relatedness mathematically? What does this math represent?

3) How does Dawkins' treatment of relatedness differ from most people's cultural ideas of being related? What is the relationship between relatedness and genes?

Essay Topic 3

Dawkins attributes many attitudes and beliefs to things people want to be true. Discuss how what people want to believe affects people's perception of science in Dawkins' book.

1) Why does Dawkins say that people want to believe in group selection? What affect has this had on evolutionary thought?

2) Why does Dawkins say that people want to believe that parents' relationships with children are an exception to rules of evolution? Are Dawkins' concerns valid?

3) In what other ways do people's desire to believe certain things affect perceptions of the concepts in the book?

(see the answer keys)

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