ANT436H5 Study Guide - Final Guide: Proximate And Ultimate Causation, Inclusive Fitness, Stabilizing Selection
Document Summary
Give an example that illustrates the difference between ultimate causation and proximate causation. Ultimate causation answers questions of why an animal behaves the way it does. Ultimate causes take into account environmental factors that contribute to why an animal is able to survive and reproduce. They tie directly into the concepts of darwinism and natural selection. Ultimate causation has an end goal in forwarding genes and ensuring survival. Example: a female songbird is attracted to male songbirds" songs. These songs also warn other males to stay away from the singer"s territory. Male songbirds that sang in the spring were naturally selected for; they attracted more mates, reproduced more, and passed their genes on. Proximate causation answers questions of how biological traits operate in an animal. Whereas ultimate causation has long-term implications, proximate causes have more immediate effects. These causes explain why certain animals have certain appendages, for example, but are independent of the evolutionary discussion.
