Evolution and Cognition

Question 1

Homology

Answer 1

A trait is of common descent

Question 2

Analogy

Answer 2

A trait is of convergence

Question 3

Bird brains have around the same amount of cognitive cells of humans, relatively to their size, true or false?

Answer 3

yes, it is true - what we referred to as “emancipation of the bird brain”

Question 4

The misunderstanding that puts cognitive capacities in a hierarchy that has humans at the top, human-like species like primates to follow and as the mos different species from humans at the bottom.

Answer 4

Scala Naturae

Question 5

Why is Scala Naturae wrong?

Answer 5

Evidence shows that certain cognitive skills that are not present in species “close” to us are present in others, such as vocal imitation (chimpanzes can’t do it, but birds, humans and dolphins can)

Question 6

Convergence

Answer 6

Acquisition of a similar trait (normally a functional trait) by different species who did not inherit it from a common ancestor. “A similar solution to a similar problem”.EG Wings

Question 7

Common Ancestry

Answer 7

Acquisition through a common ancestor

Question 8

Evolution definition

Answer 8

How it used to be and how it is now

Question 9

Mechanism definition

Answer 9

How it works, with which causation

Question 10

Can evolution explain the causation of a behaviour?

Answer 10

No, it cannot - eg the (mysogenist) theory that male are more promiscous (Bateman’s principles)

Question 11

What is adaptive specialisation?

Answer 11

The change of nervous systems in function of a certain aim - whiskers on rodents to get spatial cues.