The exam will include one essay question (25 minutes) selected randomly from those listed below.

Before the exam, you may, if you wish, study together and discuss your answers to these questions. However, you must prepare your own answers by yourself.

During the exam, everyone must work alone . . . without books, notes, or electronic devices!

Good scientific essays include (1) definitions of important terms, (2) clear explanations of principles, and (3) clearly explained examples.   They include lots of good information!

Be sure to review the suggestions for writing good essays below!

1. Why was Darwin surprised at what he found on the Galapagos Islands (and why would a modern biologist not be surprised)?

2. Can one species evolve into twelve or more on an archipelago of islands?

3. How can one species evolve into two species all on one island?

4. How can two or more species evolve from one on a large continent?

5. What happens in hybrid zones?

6. Is variation in humans similar to variation in other vertebrates?

There is no one correct essay for any of these questions.   Two very different essays could both receive high grades.

A good way to organize information (and to remember it when you need it) is to prepare short outlines.   Each outline should consist of about five short sentences.   Each sentence should include an important term.

Some information we have discussed could be relevant to more than one question ... and some questions might have relevant information in more than one lecture!

Scientific essays often include diagrams, graphs, drawings, or maps (in large format, in the center of the page, with parts or axes labeled) whenever appropriate.

Ask yourself this question: will my essay show somebody how much I have learned about this question?