Evolution (pack 1)

Question 1

what is evolution?

Answer 1

the gradual development of different kinds of living organisms from earlier forms throughout the history of earth
The gradual development occurs through natural selection

Question 2

what is natural selection

Answer 2

gradual process by which hereditable traits become more or less common in an environment

Question 3

what is survival of the fittest

Answer 3

the organisms that have traits better adapted to survival in their environment are healthier and live longer and reproduce more frequently…they pass on the genes that made them reproductively fit to their offspring

Question 4

what is evolutionary psychology

Answer 4

our brain has evolved to allow behaviours to be inherited by offspring that serve an adaptive function in the environment

Question 5

what do evolutionary psychologists speculate on behaviours?

Answer 5

that they would have allowed our distant ancestors to survive their hostile environments

Question 6

how may language been developed as a result of natural selection

Answer 6

those in the population that had the genes of language acquisition easier would communicate more easily and aid their chances of survival by being able to plan hunting

Question 7

why do we have such prolonged periods of childhood and juvenile development?

Answer 7

The time needed for our brains to understand the complex behaviours is longer…so we have evolved to expand less energy on growth of body and more on brain

Question 8

what is the brain growth model of prolonged childhood

Answer 8

explains that prolonged childhood and adolescence of humans compared to others in terms of evolution

Question 9

what skills that humans are good at would have helped our ancestors survive?

Answer 9

complex motor skills, vast memory, language and planning abilities

Question 10

3 strengths of evolution by natural selection to explain human behaviour

Answer 10

the assumptions make the theory testable so high scientific cred.

extensive supporting evidence -
Darwin and the finches who have different beaks.
DNA analysis that we all share genes
Fossil records that show physical evidence

twin and adoption studies, that human behaviour such as aggression can be influenced by genetics

Question 11

two weaknesses of evolution by natural selection to explain human behaviour

Answer 11

evidence for assumption of evo. psych that behaviour has evolved is limited
No fossil record for behaviour itself
No way of testing early environments
ev that exists is correlational

reductionism-
oversimplifies other reasons for why we may survive