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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 Wynne-Edwards believe about territories that animals fight over?

2. According to Dawkins' description, what do insect colonies usually consist of?

3. To what does Dawkins attribute changes to female mice as the population rises?

4. What does the study of egg clutch sizes that Dawkins cites show?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. According to Dawkins, what selfish behavior might birds that have fewer eggs because of overpopulation exhibit?

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

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

6. Explain the conflict between Wynne-Edwards and Dawkins over territory behavior.

7. Does Dawkins agree or disagree with the theory about parental suffering for children's success, and why?

8. What possible explanation for viruses does Dawkins give?

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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the distinctions between humanity and other species in Dawkins' work.

1) In Dawkins' book, how does he treat humanity similarly to and differently from other species?

2) What does Dawkins believe makes humanity unique? How does this relate to Dawkins' theory of the selfish gene?

3) What implications does Dawkins' theory have for human beings?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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