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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. What does Dawkins postulate would preserve a gene forever?

2. How many nucleotide chains are in DNA?

3. What two opposites does Dawkins say he is examining the biology of?

4. If two genes normally cooperate, what happens when one gene is missing?

5. What apparently selfish act of the praying mantis does the author describe?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is a cistron?

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

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

4. How does Dawkins say that DNA differs from blueprints for making a building?

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

6. How do genes directly and indirectly control behavior?

7. What are the main actions living organisms do, as gene machines?

8. How does Dawkins view many-celled life forms?

9. Describe "crossing over."

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The opposite of selfishness is altruism, and Dawkins argues that many seemingly altruistic behaviors actually originate with the selfishness of genes. Discuss altruism in Dawkins' book.

1) What altruistic behaviors does Dawkins attribute to selfish genes? How convincing are his arguments?

2) What is "altruism"? Is there such a thing as true "altruism?"

3) How can altruism function for the good of the individual or for the good of the individual's genes?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss hive behavior in Dawkins' book.

1) How does Dawkins' idea of the selfish gene explain the behavior of hives and of sterile individuals in a species?

2) Why does Dawkins discuss hive behavior and the behavior of insects? Why does he only devote a part of a chapter to this discussion?

3) How much variation is there in insect behavior? How much variation is there between insect behavior and other types of animal organisms? How does this variation affect Dawkins' ideas?

(see the answer keys)

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