Question

1. You are part of an interstellar exploratory mission ca. 1 million years in the future. You visit one of the other extremely rare planets in the universe that supported the independent evolution of complex life. You are not surprised to discover that organisms on this planet are chemical systems built by chemically encoded design information – though the design information is encoded in a different polymer than DNA and many details of the chemical metabolism of these organisms is different than for earth’s organisms. You find that there is a single species on the planet that is ecologically dominant – having, for example, domesticated other organisms for food and having produced complex artificial technologies.

Which of the following statements would you expect to be most likely to be true about this unique, dominant organism?

1. it cooperates based on genetic relatedness (r)
2. it can kill adult conspecifics from a distance
3. it is a biped
4. it lives in the ocean

2. Like all animals humans have a characteristic breeding system. Which of the following is true of this human system?

1. humans are monogamous
2. humans are promiscuous
3. humans are social breeders
4. all of the above

3. When a female chimp ovulates she advertises that fact through a genital swelling. Humans, in contrast, actively hide ovulation. What is the specific technical term we use for this human pattern of ovulation?

1. cryptic
2. esoteric
3. occult
4. overt

4. Based on examination of non-human animals – like the chimps and vervet monkeys we considered in lecture – what is likely to be the function of human ovulation system described in the preceding question?

1. help females deal with conflicts of interest between non-kin adult males
2. manage the small conflicts of interest between close kin adult males
3. clarify paternity to foster paternal parental investment
4. none of the above

Answer 1

1.(c) it is a biped.( Similar to humans a bit and produces many artificial technologies this are better possible for bipeds).

We can't say about if they have genetic relatedness as they possess a different chemical systems and metabolism other than DNA. We even don't know about the competitors on the planet- so, killing ability can't be determined.

2. (d) all of the above.because humans are monogamous (have one partner), can be promiscuous and are social breeders ( cooperative breeding in which alloparental care can be seen; i.e, other individuals in the human family can take care of the offspring).

3.(a) cryptic because the pattern of ovulation goes unnoticed.

4.(c) clarify paternity to foster paternal parental investment.this can't be found in polygamous groups.