PSYC18H3 Chapter 2: psyc18 chapter 2.doc
Document Summary
The engine that drives evolution has three parts. Superabundance: animals and plants produce more offspring that necessary merely to reproduce themselves. Variation: each offspring is somewhat different than others, and differences are passed on by heredity. Natural selection: characteristics that allow the individual to be adapted to the environment are selected for. At the core of natural selection are selection pressures. Some selection pressures involves threats or opportunities related to physical survival. Intra-sexual competition occurs within a sex for access to mate. Those traits, whether it be strength, beauty, cunning, emotional intelligence, or humor, that allow some to prevail over other are more likely to be passed on to succeeding generations. Inter-sexual competition refers to the process by which one sex selects specific kinds of traits in the other sex. Social status affects the amount of resources one has, and more resources will benefit future offspring.
