PSYC 385 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, Human Behavioral Ecology, Mendelian Inheritance
6 Jan 2018
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Natural selection: determines what traits evolve over time, adaptation =more offspring= "survival of the fittest" (spencer) Variation and selection: modifications that helped an organism survive and reproduce = "adaptations" Sexual selection= darwin wrote this later , but another means of evolution in terms of certain traits that are handed down to attract mates. Darwin"s notion of heredity though was a "blending theory"=wrong. Eg" if (cid:455)our father is taller tha(cid:374) a(cid:448)g, a(cid:374)d (cid:455)our (cid:373)o(cid:373) is taller tha(cid:374) a(cid:448)g, add the t(cid:449)o a(cid:374)d di(cid:448)ide it (cid:271)(cid:455) 2=(cid:455)our height this is(cid:374)"t how genes work. One way to think about limitations on darwin"s theory: Warbler, mangrove, woodpecker finchesgetting extinct b/c parasites (larvae appears in their nests and eat the nasal cavities of those finches) But small tree finches have been seen to eat the fly larvae, thus reduce that parasite threat to their offspring. This is a biologically adaptive behavior because it enhances survival and reproduction.
