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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. How does Dawkins characterize the runt of a litter?

2. What does an animal do when it fails to claim a territory?

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

4. What does Dawkins believe about human population growth?

5. In the natural world, which gender does Dawkins identify as more likely to select the other for breeding?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is Hamilton's explanation of how herds are formed?

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

4. What may happen to guillemot eggs, and what is the adaptation of guillemots to deal with this?

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

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

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

8. What is the cuckoo's adaptation to care for its eggs?

9. What does Dawkins substitute for survival of a species?

10. When and why are gulls' offspring in danger?

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

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 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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