Chapter 2 Flashcards
French philosopher during the Renaissance 1596-1650
Rene Descartes
Father of behaviorism
John B. Watson
Describe the theory of evolution
Species evolve by undergoing gradual orderly change either to solve a problem in their environment or through natural selection.
Natural selection
Heritable traits related to high rates of survival and reproduction are the most likely ones to be passed on to future generations.
Fitness
The ability of an organism to survive and contribute its genes to the next generation.
Define spandrels and provide an example
Incidental nonadaptive evolutionary byproducts. The human belly button.
Function of the brain stem
Regulates reflex activities that are critical for survival (heart rate, respiration, etc.)
Function of the cerebrum
Involved in complex adaptive processes such as learning, perception, and motivation.
3 ways the human brain has evolved
Increase in size
Size increase occurs in the cerebrum
Increase in number of convolutions (fold on the cerebral surface)
Mating process in which one male bonds with more than one female.
Polygyny
Mating process in which enduring bonds are formed between one male and one female.
Monogramy
What percentage of mammalian species are monogamous?
4%
What is the predominant pattern of mammalian mating?
Polygyny
Traits that occur in one form or another (either -or)
Dichotomous traits
Observable traits
Phenotype