Three theories of origin
creationism, seeding theory, evolution by natural selection
theory of origin; intelligent design; offers no testable predictions, no new discoveries, and no useful explanation of existing discoveries
creationism
theory of origin; life originated elsewhere and came to Earth; testable but no evidence; no new discoveries; infinitely regressive
seeding theory
theory of origin; organizes known facts; guides theory; offers new predictions
evolution by natural selection
Three products of evolution
adaptations, by-products, noise
- product of evolution
- inherited and reliabily developing characteristic
- evolved through natural selection to solve survival or reproduction problems
adaptation
- product of evolution
- characteristics that do not solbe adaptive problems and do not have a functional design
- linked with adaptations
- ex: belly button
by-products
- product of evolution
- random effects produced by change mutations, dramatic changes in the environment, developmental perturbances
- can be harm, neutral, or beneficial
noise
____________ - Specific selection forces (adaptive problems) that shaped the adaptation over time
Environment of Evolved Adaptedness (EEA)
Model that states that females can maximize lifetime reproductive success by suppressing reproduction in the present (when condtions are poor) in favour of futre reproduction (when conditions are better); benefits exceed the costs of suppression
Reproductive Suppression Model
Hypothesis that states “reduce caloric intake when conditions are poor for reproduction”
Reproductive suppression hypothesis
Levels of evolutionary analysis
overarching theory; mid level theory; specific hypothesis; specific predictions
- level of evo analysis
- consistent with, but not derived from natural selection
mid-level theory
- level of evo analysis
- derived from mid-level theory
specific hypothesis
- level of evo anaylsis
- test hyothesis
specific predictions
2 different methods to test evolutionary hypotheses
theory driven (top-down) hypotheses; observation-driver (bottom-up) hypothesis
Process by which
1. Derive hypothesis from mid-level theory
2. Test predictions based on hypothesis
3. Does empirical evidence support hypothesis
theory-driven (top down) hypotheses
Process by which
1. Generate hypothesis based on observation
2. Test predictions based on hypothesis
3. Does empirical evidence support hypothesis
observational-driven (bottom-up) hypotheses
____ - solves specific recurring problem that occurred in the EEA; evolved by natural selection; processes narrow band of information; informs of a specific problem; uses decision rules; direct to solve a specific adaptive problem
evolved psychological mechanisms (EPM)
_______ - ideas that are transferred from one mind to another mind through observation
transmitted culture
_______ - phenomena triggered in some groups more than others because of differing environmental conditions
evoked culture
