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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' metaphor about DNA, what represents a gene?

2. What would molecules that broke down other self-copying molecules and used their parts eventually become?

3. What does Dawkins describe as "intruder retreat" behavior?

4. Why does Dawkins say kind or cooperative behavior arises?

5. What kind of animals does the intruder retreat experiment by Niko Tinbergen use?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to genes in sexual reproduction?

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

3. What is a cistron?

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

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

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

7. Explain what a prober-retaliator is.

8. What examples does Dawkins give of humanity's valuation of its own species?

9. What does Dawkins have to say about the phrase "to ensure the survival of the species?"

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 Darwin's treatment of siblings in The Selfish Gene.

1) In what ways are siblings in competition? Why doesn't competition between siblings typically escalate to deadly competition?

2) In what ways do siblings cooperate or benefit each other?

3) How do the relationships between siblings vary between species in the natural world, and how does this relate to Dawkins' overall theory.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the origin of life as Dawkins presents it in The Selfish Gene.

1) Why is the origin of life, as Dawkins presents it, not something that still happens? How do the first replicator proteins come into being?

2) What elements in the environment lead to the development of replicator proteins into organisms?

3) How is the existence of early proteins as Dawkins presents it in ancient seas similar to and different from the existence of organisms in the natural world today?

Essay Topic 3

One of Dawkins' primary premises is that the good of the individual is what organisms strive for, not the good of the species. Discuss the conflict between the individual and the species in The Selfish Gene.

1) Why are individuals representative of their genes?

2) What is Dawkins' central argument for selfishness of individuals within a species? Why does the selfishness of genes translate to the selfishness of individuals?

3) What are the arguments that other scientists pose for individuals acting for the good of the species, and how does Dawkins counter those arguments?

(see the answer keys)

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