EVOLUTION

Question 1

Darwinism, the process of “natural selection” and essential human traits

Answer 1

According to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, organisms that possess heritable traits that enable them to better adapt to their environment compared with other members of their species will be more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass more of their genes on to the next generation.

Question 2

Evolutionary Arms Race’

Answer 2

In evolutionary biology, an evolutionary arms race is a struggle between competing sets of co-evolving genes, traits, or species, that develop adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, resembling an arms race. These are often described as examples of positive feedback.

Question 3

Competition and cooperation in evolution

Answer 3

In evolution, co-operation is the process where groups of organisms work or act together for common or mutual benefits. It is commonly defined as an adaptation that has evolved, at least in part, to increase the reproductive success of the actor’s social partners.

This process contrasts with an intragroup competition where individuals work against each other for selfish reasons.

Question 4

Cave art

Answer 4

Cave art, also called parietal art or cave paintings, is a general term referring to the decoration of the walls of rock shelters and caves throughout the world. The best-known sites are in Upper Paleolithic Europe.

Question 5

Neanderthals

Answer 5

an extinct species of human that was widely distributed in ice-age Europe between c. 120,000–35,000 years ago, with a receding forehead and prominent brow ridges. The Neanderthals were associated with the Mousterian flint industry of the Middle Paleolithic.
An uncivilized, unintelligent, or uncouth person, especially a man.

Question 6

charles darwin and the origin of species

Answer 6

Origin of Species - Natural Selection
. Natural selection is a natural process which acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous variations within living systems. Suppose a member of a species were to develop a functional advantage (a reptile grew wings and learned to fly: an obvious advantage his earth-bound relatives couldn’t enjoy); its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to future offspring. Natural selection would act to preserve the advantageous trait. Essentially, natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes within domestic animal populations simply by selecting individuals to breed. They have been able to accentuate desirable traits (given the trait is already present in the creature’s genetic code) and even suppress undesirable traits gradually over time. The difference between domestic breeding and natural selection is this: rather than human breeders making the selections, nature itself is the selector.

Question 7

charles darwin and the origin of species

Answer 7

Origin of Species - Natural Selection
. Natural selection is a natural process which acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous variations within living systems. Suppose a member of a species were to develop a functional advantage (a reptile grew wings and learned to fly: an obvious advantage his earth-bound relatives couldn’t enjoy); its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to future offspring. Natural selection would act to preserve the advantageous trait. Essentially, natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes within domestic animal populations simply by selecting individuals to breed. They have been able to accentuate desirable traits (given the trait is already present in the creature’s genetic code) and even suppress undesirable traits gradually over time. The difference between domestic breeding and natural selection is this: rather than human breeders making the selections, nature itself is the selector.