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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 AI stand for?

2. In the example that Dawkins gives, what do pigs sometimes do to the runt of the litter?

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

4. What does Dawkins speculate that cuckoo chicks might do?

5. What reason does Dawkins give that animal populations are about 50-50 male and female?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What theory about parental suffering for children's success does Dawkins describe?

4. What explanation does Zahavi propose for stotting?

5. What possible explanation for viruses does Dawkins give?

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

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

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

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

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

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 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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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