BIO 350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Three-Spined Stickleback, Motility, Limiting Factor
18 Oct 2016
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Proximate causation-mechanism by which individual"s traits are manifested (in an individual"s lifetime!: genetics, development, physiology, ecology, behavior. Ultimate causes-evolutionary mechanism by which is responsible for species" properties (over many generations!: genetics, evolution. Ge(cid:374)e pools e(cid:448)ol(cid:448)e, phe(cid:374)ot(cid:455)pes do(cid:374)"t e(cid:448)ol(cid:448)e (cid:894)the(cid:455) get e(cid:454)pressed a(cid:374)d die(cid:895) Any phenotype has a proximal cause (reason why animal has it), and ultimate cause. For any phenotype, there are physiological or developmental mechanisms (think of these as machines in the individual that produce a product) that produce the phenotype in that single individual. Those proximate mechanisms got there by evolution. The presence of those proximate mechanisms in ancestors increased their chances to survive and reproduce. Thus, the genes (we are assuming that the phenotype is heritable) for the phenotype got passed on and are present in individuals to cause the phenotype to be expressed. Eye blink reflex receptor, neurons going both ways, effects muscle in eye (proximate)
