View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What adjectives describe Whittington?

2. Which class did Whittington's dissenter say Aysehaia should be in?

3. What did Whittington first think about Naraoia?

4. What are the two Ps?

5. What do Oxford advisers not spend much of their time on, according to Gould?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Morris find that is so shocking?

2. How does Gould describe the relationship between Oxford advisors and their students?

3. What does Gould note about the Burgess work and the Whittington, Briggs and Simon team?

4. What other monographs were published in 1981 concerning the Burgess Shale and by who?

5. What two major discoveries did Derek Briggs make?

6. How does the book describe Derek Briggs and Simon Conway Morris as students of Oxford?

7. What did Sanctacaris look like?

8. What did Whittington originally think Naraoia was?

9. Why did the Burgess Shale drama become a denouement by 1978?

10. What does Gould argue about the classification of the Canadaspis?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 1, Gould expresses the opinion that accepting his interpretation of the Burgess Shale has a psychological cost for humanity. Explain why Gould believes this and disagree or agree with his statement. Cite at least three reasons that support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Gould examines how Whittington gave upon the Trilobitoidea class. In your own words, summarize why Whittington threw out the Trilobitoidea class. Support your summary with two examples taken from any of the chapters in the book.

Essay Topic 3

Act 1 discusses the differences between Leif Størmer's explanation of the Burgess arthropods in his Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology and Walcott's narrow groupings of arthropod phylums. Compile at least three examples provided by Gould's book that examine their similarities and differences.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 637 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample