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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 kind of drama does Gould wish to recount that led to rejecting Walcott's interpretation?

2. What make up periods?

3. When did Whittington publish his first monograph?

4. How was Walcott's taxonomy significantly updated?

5. Why did Whittington dissect Opabinia?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Chapter 3: Reconstruction of the Burgess Shale: Toward a New View of Life about?

2. Why do paleontologists find Opabinia unbelievable and fascinating?

3. Name four levels of the taxonomy of life.

4. Why did Gould write this book as an homage to the Burgess Shale?

5. What evidence favors Opabinia's uniqueness?

6. What did using these new methods allow Whittington's team to do?

7. What did Leif Størmer decide to do in contrast to Walcott?

8. How does Gould begin Chapter 2: A Background for the Burgess Shale?

9. How did Walcott's taxonomy have to be significantly updated?

10. What is the boundary between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras famous?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chapter 3 examines the levels of the taxonomy of life. Describe four of these levels with examples from each and then explain the system of classification that Whittington used for the Burgess Shale animals. Answer why it is important for paleontologists to classify specimens. Support your argument with at least two logical examples.

Essay Topic 2

Act 1 discusses the new Burgess Shale animal, Opabinia. Pick one other animal and then write a thorough essay that compares and contrasts Opabinia with the other animal. Compile at least three major examples provided by Gould's book that examine their similarities and differences.

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 1, Gould examines Walcott's inaccurate interpretation of the ladder and cone convention. Using this example, and others found in Chapter 1 or 2, agree or disagree with the following question: does Gould or Walcott present a more convincing argument concerning the ladder and cone interpretation? Present your paper with an arguable thesis that uses three solid examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

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