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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 believe about human population growth?

2. How is male and female responsibility for offspring different in fish?

3. From a gene's point of view, what does Dawkins say an organism is equally related to?

4. To what does Wynne-Edwards attribute changes to female mice as the population rises?

5. According to Dawkins, how common is it for males to help raise the young?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Dawkins describe female cells versus male cells?

2. According to Dawkins, in what ways does weaning benefit an older child?

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

4. Describe Trivers' observations of striped cleaner fish.

5. Why, from the standpoint of the selfish gene, is it more beneficial to save five siblings than five cousins?

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the relationship between parents and offspring in Dawkins' book.

1) How are offspring of organisms different than replications of protein molecules? How do organisms relate to their offspring?

2) How much variation is there in the natural world in how parents treat and care for their offspring? How does Dawkins account for this variation?

3) What factors affect parental care for offspring in Dawkins' theory?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Dawkins' treatment of memes.

1) How does Dawkins apply theories of evolution to memes? How do memes differ from genes?

2) What role do memes play in human culture? Do memes play any role in other species' existence?

3) How do memes relate to Dawkins' theory of the selfish gene? Why does he discuss memes?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Dawkins' ideas about communication as presented in The Selfish Gene.

1) How does Dawkins define communication?

2) What is the role of lying in the natural world and in survival? How does lying relate to Dawkins' ideas in The Selfish Gene?

3) What altruistic roles does communication play? What selfish roles can communication play in the natural world? How does Dawkins refute ideas that communication is essentially altruistic and functions for the good of the species?

(see the answer keys)

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