Evolution

Question 1

What is evolution and natural selection?

Answer 1

• traits that are adaptive (help animals survive) are passed on through the generations and less adaptive traits die out
• known as survival of the fittest

Question 2

What is EEA?

Answer 2

• environment of evolutionary adaptation
• the conditions and properties of the external world in which evolutionary adaptations occur

Question 3

What is the genome lag?

Answer 3

• traits that were at one time adaptive in a certain environment are now maladaptive ‘mismatched’ to the environment that the trait is currently present in

Question 4

What does the genome lag present?

Answer 4

• that our minds are adapted to the EEA

Question 5

What changes the human genome?

Answer 5

• thousands of years of evolutionary pressures

Question 6

What is the cause of this difference in the genome lag?

Answer 6

• surrounding changes quicker but still have small group mentality despite living in large cities

Question 7

What is sexual selection?

Answer 7

• Darwin found that species had traits which made them attractive but hindered survival
• encouraged reproduction so were passed on

Question 8

What are the two strength evaluations of evolution?

Answer 8

Support for the genome lag
- women have a greater role in the work place making them less dependent on males for resources = partner preferences is not dictated by resources
Shows behaviour important to survival in choosing a mate
- has been influenced influenced by cultural changes while genome changed hardly

Question 9

What is a strength evaluation of evolution?

Answer 9

Problems with the EEA concept
- evolved changes in humans such as lactose intolerance
- gene used to digest milk passed on to increase chance of survival
- some human characteristics may be diet comes of evolutionary pressures operating much more recently than the EEA