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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. According to Dawkins, for whom does a bird regulate the number of eggs it lays?

2. What chance does a parent have of giving a particular gene to a child?

3. What does Medawar's study conclude?

4. What response does Dawkins give to the idea that birth control is wrong because it's unnatural?

5. Do gulls recognize their own eggs and chicks?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What explanation does Zahavi propose for stotting?

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

4. What does Dawkins cite that makes human beings exceptions to the idea that genes for having too large a number of children die out?

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

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

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

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

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

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 the elements that contribute to survival in an evolutionary system.

1) What role does fecundity play in evolutionary survival? Why does fecundity play and important role? How is its role different in molecular reproduction and in the lives of complex organisms?

2) What role does fidelity play in evolutionary survival? What role does it play in evolutionary change?

3) What role does longevity play in evolutionary survival? How is longevity different in a system of molecules in competition, versus in a system of organisms in competition?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the biological appearance of purpose in The Selfish Gene.

1) Why do biological structures appear like they have a purpose? What examples does Dawkins give of things in nature that appear to have purpose?

2) What examples does Dawkins give of machines and other things that only appear to have purpose?

3) How convincing are Dawkins' arguments that systems can appear to have purpose without actually having intention? Why does Dawkins give these arguments?

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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