Lecture 13: Evolution Of Mental Abilities

Question 1

***What is fitness in an evolutionary sense?

Answer 1

It is a reproductive success (Relative to direct competitors in the population)

Question 2

***How might evolution produce a SSDR?

Answer 2

Instinctive behaviour drives responses based on the environment

Question 3

*Describe the process of inheritance for

Huntington’s disease

Answer 3

Through carrying dominant genes.

–
PROCESS:
*Neurological syndrome which affects development of nervous system has a genetic basic
*A SINGLE GENE CAN CODE FOR THIS SYNDROME

• mother carries characteristic
• has children –> mum’s gene passed on to 1/2 children
• passed on in AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT way
• spread originally by inbreeding
• genetic disease which can pass on - there is a large chance that carriers of syndrome will have children in which Huntington’s expressed at high frequencies

Question 4

*How does inclusive fitness and reciprocation
solve the evolutionary problem of altruism
and other prosocial instincts?

Answer 4

kin selection/Inclusive: Genes are carried through a relative. your relatives are highly likely to share the same genes as you (r)
- an altruistic act confers a cost to the donor, gives a benefit to the recipient, but if they are related, there is a chance that the genes for helpful behaviour will receive the the benefit (but in another person)

Reciprocation: Get altruism received at a later date.
-both donor and recipient benefit in the long term. you give something that is low value to you to someone who values it highly and vice versa

–
PROCESS
reciprocal altruism:
1. helping someone who doesn’t have same genes as you
2. acts can appear altruistic in short term, but if reciprocated later, both donor & recipient benefit in long term
3. giving up something important in expectation of a delayed but greater reward
4. low value to you, but higher value to them
5. exchange of goods and delay in time

note: if you delay a reward, it loses value

Question 5

*What is the social theory of intelligence in

evolution?

Answer 5

We process things quicker in a social context (rather than abstract contexts)

–
social theory of intellect:

Our intellectual abilities & problem solving have evolved from social interactions in small tribes through evolution
*Demands of social context drives evolution of problem solving skills

1. Deception
2. Planning
3. Remembering interpersonal interactions
4. Heirarchical relationships
5. arguing and getting your way

Question 6

____________ is the study of how an
animal’s behaviour advances its chances of
survival and increases reproductive success.

Answer 6

behavioural ecology

Question 7

A gene can take multiple forms (alleles)
that produce different versions of the same
protein

Answer 7

genetic polymorhisms

Question 8

Different alleles can arise spontaneously

via ____________

Answer 8

mutation

Question 9

Within a population, the mixture of alleles

can change over time via

Answer 9

natural selection

Question 10

How can behaviour increase fitness?

Answer 10

1. Aggression,
2. Infidelity
3. Jealousy,
   4 Parental love and attachment.

Question 11

SSDR stands for?

Answer 11

Species-specific defense responses

Question 12

Behavioural ecology

Answer 12

1. All animals have certain problems:
   - finding food, water, shelter, mates
2. Study of how an animals behaviour improves its chances of survival and reproduction
3. Genetic basis of behaviour

Question 13

What is evolutionary fitness?

Answer 13

• Survival of the fittest
  1. Competition for limited resources
  2. Individuals who are best suited to environment will survive
  3. These individuals will pass on characteristics via genes

Question 14

What is psychobiology?

Answer 14

*Genes will influence behaviour in ways that tend to ensure reproduction
*Traits that can increase fitness:
1. Aggression,
2. Infidelity
3. Jealousy,
4 Parental love and attachment.

Question 15

What is selective breeding of cognitive phenotypes?

Answer 15

Breed rats who made few errors in maze with similar smart rats
Breed rats who made many errors with similar type

• Trying to genetically select for brightness and dullness
• generation after generation, end up with distinct population who were making few errors in maze

===> EUGENICS

Question 16

Why are honey bees not altruistic?

Answer 16

*have instinct to attack intruders
*they sting, they die
*suicidal instinct can’t be beneficial for selection
Those who have this instinct should be bred out rather than those who don’t have attack instinct

Question 17

What are the costs and benefits of evolving a larger brain?

Answer 17

Brain Size selective breeding in guppies
Produces separate populations of guppies w/ big and small brains
Big brain guppies perform better on learning task
However, developing a big brain comes at a cost of energy, food, body size
Females w/ big brain don’t invest in reproduction

Question 18

Explain Mendel’s study on inheritance in plants

Answer 18

Certain characteristics passed on
Breed red & white plant together, get pink plant

If you breed pink & pink plant together, 1/2 chance of getting pink, 1/4 chance red, 1/4 white
Gene REVERSION

Question 19

Cooperation and Fairness in monkeys

Answer 19

• People and some animals are attuned to others cheating
• 2 monkeys - one receives cucumber, which it is happy with, until it sees other monkey receive better reward of grape for the same task

Question 20

you do an altruistic behaviour to someone who is related to you

Answer 20

inclusive fitness

Question 21

conditions of reciprocal altruism

Answer 21

1. Must have a reasonable chance of
receiving reciprocation,
2. Must be able to delay immediate
gratification,
3. There is a low cost to donor & high
benefit to recipient,
4. Must be able to remember and punish
cheaters

Question 22

Your rela/ves are highly likely to share the

same genes as you (r)

Answer 22

kin selection/inclusive fitness

Question 23

_____ is a measure

of relatedness

Answer 23

r

Question 24

the probability
that a gene in
one individual is
shared by
another

Answer 24

relatedness

Question 25

if it is reciprocated later, both donor & | recipient benefit ________

Answer 25

in the long term

Question 26

the basis of trade in reciprocal altruism:

Answer 26

1. You give something that is of low value to you to someone who values it highly 2. They give you something that you value highly but is of low value to them. 3. E.g., you have excess good A but not enough good B. 4. They have excess good B but not enough good A