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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 the Watt Governor machine regulate?

2. In Dawkins' discussion, what does he consider alleles to be, relative to genes?

3. What molecules does Dawkins say existed in ancient seas and formed amino acids?

4. What does Dawkins compare point mutation to?

5. What does ESS stand for?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Dawkins view many-celled life forms?

2. Explain why Dawkins speculates that cannibalism might make sense within his selfish gene theory.

3. In Dawkins' metaphor about DNA, what is the role of page numbers?

4. According to Dawkins, what happened to self-copying molecules that were less successful?

5. How are the beginning and end of genes in DNA marked?

6. What does Dawkins say would happen if a selfish member of a species were born into a species of unselfish members?

7. How does Dawkins view whether fidelity is important to evolution?

8. Explain what a prober-retaliator is.

9. What is a cistron?

10. Describe "crossing over."

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 idea of stability in natural systems.

1) What is ESS, and why is it valuable to scientists who are studying natural systems?

2) Why does nature tend toward stable systems? What causes this rule to be true?

3) How does stability affect evolution? What is its relationship to competition?

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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