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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 Quammen describe the indri?

2. What does Quammen say the indri's future looks like?

3. What was Thomas Lovejoy's interest in the debate about the size of reserves and the number of species they support?

4. How many individuals were thought to be required for long-term genetic adaptability?

5. What species did Quammen search for at Aru?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Carl Jones save the Mauritius kestrel?

2. What note does Quammen end 'The Song of the Dodo' on?

3. Who was Thomas Lovejoy, and what was his reaction to the debate Simberloff and Abele began?

4. How did Krakatau serve as evidence for MacArthur and Wilson's thesis?

5. What data did Simberloff and Abele deploy in challenging this theory?

6. What did Lovejoy find in his studies on this question?

7. What is the concept of the minimum viable population?

8. What was Quammen looking for at Aru?

9. How is the case of the muriqui different from the case of the Mauritius kestrel?

10. Describe Quammen's attempt to see an indri.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Quammen minimize Darwin's accomplishment as the founder of the theory of evolution? What does he benefit by debunking Darwin's accomplishment? Is it attraction to the underdog position, do you think? Was Wallace rely a superior scientist? Is Quammen just being contentious?

Essay Topic 2

Debate the proposition that human beings have an obligation to conserve as much land as possible, and to keep as many species as possible safe from extinction due to human development.

Essay Topic 3

What is the genre of 'The Song of the Dodo'? Is it a travel narrative? Is it primarily a memoir? A book-length article about a scientific field? Is it a scientific treatise?

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This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample