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NESC 3670: Genes, Brain & Behaviour > Lec 2: trait variation & categorization, basic models of inheritance, connection via DNA > Flashcards

Lec 2: trait variation & categorization, basic models of inheritance, connection via DNA Flashcards

1
Q

Theodosius Dobzhansky states that “nothing in biology makes sense except in …..”

A

the light of evolution

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2
Q

the cognitive mechanisms that constitute the human brain are assumed to have developed via ____ ___

A

natural selection

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3
Q

list the 4 principles of evolutionary theory

A

1) principle of variation
2) principle of inheritance
3) principle of adaptation
4) principle of evolution

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4
Q

what is the principle of variation?

A

individuals within species show variation in physical and behavioural traits

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5
Q

what is the principle of inheritance?

A

some of this variation is heritable (across generations)

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6
Q

what is the principle of adaptation?

A

individuals are in competition with one another for scarce resources and some inherited variations will have survival advantages

  • has to enhance survival and potential to create offspring
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7
Q

what is the principle of evolution?

A

as a consequence of being better adapted to environment, some individuals will produce more offspring who will inherit some advantages

  • “fitness”
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8
Q

what did Darwin conclude about sexual selection?

A

existence of certain physical features do not contribute to survival

such features were governed by sexual selection

  • creation/maintenance of features essential for attracting the opposite sex and defending ones status

** natural selection and sexual selection work together

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9
Q

what term did W.D. Hamilton (1964) introduce??

A

inclusive fitness

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10
Q

what is inclusive fitness?

A

characteristics will be selected for that improve the changes of an individuals genes being passed directly or via relatives

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11
Q

what is natural selection?

A

principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to INC reproduction/survival will most likely be PASSED on to succeeding generations

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12
Q

what are mutations?

A

random erros in gene replication

lead to change in sequence of nucleotides in genome

result in change sin specific gene expression, brain function and behaviour

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13
Q

what is an adaptive behaviour?

A

evolutionary adaptation that enhances survival and reproductive success

evolves as natural selection fine-tunes an animal to its environment

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14
Q

what are adaptive problems?

A

problems in physical/social environment (e.g. finding mate, food, fighting disease)

  • affect reproductive success
  • each problem tackled by adaptive changes in physiology and behaviour
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15
Q

what do social scientists say about adaptive problems?

A

accept that our bodies have been sculpted by evolutionary forces (e.g. we all possess sweat glands for thermoregulation)

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16
Q

what do evolutionary psychologists argue about adaptive problems?

A

our psychological mechanisms and the resulting behaviour have also been shaped by the same evolutionary forces

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17
Q

what is a proximate causation?

A

immediate psychological, physiological, biochemical, and environmental reasons certain traits exist

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18
Q

name 3 examples of proximate causation

A
  • sensory systems (need to perceive danger)
  • mechanisms that drive muscles that elicit behaviour (need contract muscles to run)
  • cellular activities regulate development (nerve function)
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19
Q

what is ultimate causation?

A

the reason a trait increased fitness in evolutionary past

  • how does internal machinery work? why does it work that way?
  • is that behaviour an adaptation
  • how does that behaviour allow indiv to survive, find food, find mates, escape predators?
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20
Q

not all behaviours are “_____”

A

adaptive

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21
Q

Stephan Jay Gould (1991) cautioned the use of ‘___-__’ stories and explain..

A

‘just-so’ stories

  • exaptations and spandrels
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22
Q

what are exaptations?

A

features that may once have been adaptive for one function may have changed over time to serve a different function (e.g. feathers for warmth then flight)

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23
Q

what are spandrels

A

other features may look like adaptations, but design constraint (e.g. male nipples)

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24
Q

name the roles of the environment that Buss (1998) pointed out

A
  • interaction with environmental features during development are critical for normal development
  • input during development may be required in order to activate certain adaptive features
  • developmental events may channel individuals into one of several different paths (e.g. parenting style)
  • environmental events may disrupt the emergence of an adaptation
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25
what is evolutionary psychology?
study of the physiological, evolutionary and developmental mechanisms of behaviour and experience - application of Darwinian principles to the understanding of human nature
26
list the 4 categories that biological explanations of behaviour fall into
physiological ontogenetic evolutionary functional
27
what is the physiological-biological explanation of behaviour
relates a behaviour into the activity of the brain and other organs - e.g. fight/flight respose
28
what is the ontogenetic-biological explanation of behaviour
describes the development of a structure or behaviour
29
what is the evolutionary-biological explanation of behaviour
reconstructs evolutionary history of a behaviour
30
what is the functional-biological explanation of behaviour
describes WHY a structure or behaviour evolved
31
brain size of humans has inc how much?
3X total capacity
32
where is the biggest inc seen in brain size in humans?
prefrontal cortex
33
what is the bidirectional view of evolutionary psych?
environmental and biological conditions influence each other - evolution gives us bodily structures and biological potentialities, does not dictate behaviour - individuals create behaviour in context of culture **
34
who is the father of genetics?
Gregor Mendel
35
explain what Gregor Mendel did
- bred true for brown seeds with one bred true for white - 1st gen= brown seeds (3/4 brown, 1/4 white) - true breeding lines= White (ww), brown (BB) - brown was dominant phenotypic trait, appear in all 1st generation offspring (Bw)
36
what is a phenotype?
observable traits
37
what is a genotype
traits present in the genes
38
what is a gene?
each inherited factor - segment of DNA (spiraled double chain) - contain hereditary code - direct cells to reproduce themsleves - assemble proteins
39
what is an allele?
2 genes that control same trait
40
homozygous vs heterozygous
homo= 2 identical alleles (e.g. BB, ww) hetero= 2 different alleles (Bw)
41
name 2 things the nucleus contains
chromosomes | genes
42
what are chromosomes
threadlike structures composed of DNA molecules
43
what is DNA?
complex double helix molecule containing genetic info
44
what are proteins
building blocks of cels regulators that direct the bodys process
45
what is the human genome project?
map the human genome each gene has own unique location on chromosome
46
what is a genome?
set of developmental instructions for making human organism
47
what is a pleiotropic response?
more than one gene affecting another gene
48
what is mitosis?
reproduction of cells nucleus duplicate cell divides
49
what is meiosis
cell division that forms sperm and egg (gametes) each cell divides twice - 4 cells form with 23 unpaired chromosomes
50
what is fertilization
fusing of sperm and egg to create a zygote creates one set of paired chromosomes
51
sex is determined by...?
23rd pair of chromosomes XX female XY male
52
what is a karyotype?
and appearance of chromosomes in nucleus eukaryotic cell - used to distinguish disorders
53
what are 4 sources of variability to normal development?
1) combing genes of both parents inc genetic variability 2) identical twins develop from single zygote that splits into 2 3) fraternal twins develop from separate eggs and sperm 4) gene mutations can permanently alter segments of DNA
54
name 6 types single-gene linked abnormalities and examples
- autosomal dominant - autosomal recessive - x-linked dominant - x-linked recessive - y-linked - mitochondrial - e.g. CF, diabetes, hemophilia, huntington's disease, PKU, sickle-cell anemia, spina bifida, Tay-Sachs disease
55
chromosomal abnormalities occur when??
there is an error in cell division following meiosis or mitosis
56
chromosomal abnormalities are caused by...
missing, extra, or irregular portion of chromosomal DNA
57
name 5 examples of chromosomal abnormalities
- down syndrome - Klinefelter syndrome - Fragile X syndrome - Turner syndrome - XYY syndrome affect brain function and cognition
58
what are human behavioural and personality characteristics?
observable and measurable components of a persons phenotype - detectable expression of a persons genotype interacting with his/her environment
59
what is goal of behaviour genetics?
seeks to discover the influence of heredity and environment on individual differences in human traits and development
60
what are linkage studies?
look for patterns of inheritance of genetic markers in large families
61
what is a genetic marker?
segment of DNA that varies among individuals
62
what is heritability?
statistical estimate of proportion of the total variance in some trait that is attributable to genetic differences among individuals within a group - expressed as proportion (e.g. 0.60 or 60/100) - max is 1.0 some variables are highly heritable (e.g. height)
63
name 3 limitations to heritability
1) estimate of heritability applies only to particular group living in a particular environment 2) heritability estimates do not apply to individuals, only to variations within a group 3) even highly heritable traits can be modified by the environment
64
heritability of behaviour is estimated in which 3 ways?
1) examine whether children more closely resemble adoptive/biological parents 2) compare mono/dizygotic twins 3) examine identical twins raised in diff households (social environment)
65
benefit to adoption studies
- allow researcher to compare correlations between traits of adopted children and biological/adoptive relatives - results to estimate heritability
66
what should we see from adoption studies?
- identical twins raised apart have identical genes in diff environment - any similarities in traits between identical twins who were separated early in life and reared apart should be primarily genetic and should give estimate of heritability
67
list 4 shared environmental experiences (siblings)
- parents personalities - intellectual orientation - family SES - neighbourhood shared environment accounts for little of the variation in childrens personality or interest
68
heredity influences non-shared environments through ____ - _____ correlations
heredity-environment
69
genotype-environment correlations stay the same// change as children grow???
CHANGE
70
name 3 types of heredity-environment correlations/interactions
- passive GE- interaction (parents provide rearing environment) - evocative GE- interaction(genotype elicits certain types of physical/social environments) - active GE-interaction (when children seek out compatible and stimulating environments)
71
what is IQ
intelligent quotient
72
what is IQ measure
measure of intelligence - divide mental age by chronological age, multiply by 100
73
IQ scores of adopted children are highly correlated with who???
their biological parents
74
psychiatric diseases are complex disease that aggregate in ____ but do not segregate in a ____ ____ manner
aggregate in families do not segregate in simple Mendelian manner (not due to 1 specific gene)
75
name 4 experiences that hinder cognitive performance (in development)
- poor prenatal care - malnutrition - exposure to toxins - stressful family circumstances
76
name 2 experiences that enhance cognitive performance
- good health care and nutrition | - mental enrichment in home and childcare/school

NESC 3670: Genes, Brain & Behaviour (12 decks)

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