PSYCH 112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Emotional Affair, Orthogenesis
Document Summary
Psych 112. 001 lecture 2 origins of the mind. Humans are very different from any other species: we have the ability to change our environment, we are capable of very different and sophisticated behaviors. Biologically genes central to evolution: heredity: information is transmitted from one generation to the next. Major transitions in evolution: changes in which evolutionary process takes place. Human evolution is different because we developed language and culture. Our lineage: the chimpanzee diverged 6-10 million years ago to the hominid line, 3. 5 million years ago bipedalism develops, developed precision and power grip, 269,000 years ago cro-magnon. As a species, we are heavily invested in our brains to gather and manipulate information on a scale unmatched by any other species. Genes should hypothetically dictate behavior: example: twins separated at birth. 23 pairs of chromosomes with 20,000-25,000 genes. The relationship between genes and behavior is indirect: genes influence behavior by creating brain systems which respond to the environment.
