Problem 4 Flashcards
What did Darwins evolutionary theory state ?
What are its 3 essential parts ?
INHERITANCE, VARIATION + SELECTION are key for evolution to take place
- The reproduced new generation, will resemble their parents
- Each generation will include new variations
- -> resemblance is close but not perfect - Due to new variations the new generation will be better able to survive + reproduce
=> small accumulative changes are the key to the origin of species
Natural selection (Darwin)
Refers to a process by which the environment results in the continuation + multiplication of organisms with favorable genetic features
–> hinders the reproduction of organisms with unfavorable genetic features
Survival of the fittest
Herbert Spencer
States that only organisms that fit within the environment + can produce viable offsprings will survive
–> describes the outcome of natural selection
The origin of species
Is a book by Charles Darwin in which he presented the evolutionary theory
–> he was 50 when he first published it
How did Darwins observations on cross fertilization impact his work on natural selection ?
He discovered that cross fertilization produced variation in the offspring that was
a) more vital
b) sometimes resulted in a creation of new flower
–> self fertilization resulted in less healthy offsprings
What was the “Dilution problem” ?
Darwin failed to explain how a signal new plant/animal could come to dominate the rest
–> Jenkin stated that a new feature placed amid a group of other features will dilute
ex.: a white mans features will never become dominant in group of black people, even if he has kids
What are common misunderstandings of the evolutionary theory ?
- Genes do not induce changes in a plant/animal so that it becomes more adapted to environment
–> this happens due to random alteration/mutation
- Organisms do not become better/stronger
–> they’re merely best adapted to their current environment in order to survive
Francis Galton
Cousin of Darwin
Was a british polymath + advocate of Darwins evolutionary theory
- -> his ultimate goal was to find evidence for the heredity of intelligence, wasn’t successful though
- -> initiator of IQ tests
Charles Darwins Brief summary of his life
- Born 1809 in Schrewsbury
- Son of a doctor of a upper class family
- 1 other brother + 3 elder sisters
- Was brought up in an intellectual, free thinking, scientific family atmosphere
Where did Darwin go to School ?
- Edinburgh medical school where he dropped out 2 years later
- Christs college to get an “ordinary” degree
- -> forced by his father who was against his passion for natural history
=> his later achievements can be summarized as a mix of both schools
Which impact did the “Plinian society” have on Darwins career ?
Its were he met Robert Grant, who urged him to read Lamarcks “System of Invertebrate animals”
John Stevens Henslow
Close professorial friend of Darwins who he met during his school years at Cambridge
–> offered Darwin a voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle
Why was Darwin still able to pursue his passions of Natural history when attending catholic school in Cambridge ?
His lecture schedule was undemanding, giving him time to attend natural history courses
–> especially the lectures of his closest friends Henslow + Sedgwick
Which impact did the 5-year voyage of the Beagle have on Darwins career ?
- Determined his whole career
- Made enormous collections of birds, invertebrates, fossils etc
- -> including many unusual + new species - Developed an intense understanding on the variations of the natural world
- Documented all the explored species + how they might change into other species
- -> “Transmutation notebooks”
Which impact did Charles Lyells “Principles of Geology” have on Darwins work ?
- He used Lyells geological ideas to explain the landforms he saw
- He used Lyells work as ground work to produce his own theories
How did Darwin maintain his huge global network of friends which had a major impact on his findings ?
His letter writing was his way of
a) cementing scientific friendship
b) pursuing collaborations
c) gathering observations
- -> revealed how much his success depended on others
- -> he maintained his friendships + memberships without ever leaving the country
Alfred Wallace
Friend of Darwins who had formulated similar ideas on the origin of species as Darwin
–> one of his papers finally induced Darwin to publish his theory
How did people react to Darwins theory when it was first published ?
The responses were mixed
–> many accepted the idea of evolution but not the proposed mechanism
How did the distribution of species eventually provide evidence for evolution ?
Flora + Fauna of any particular island are related to those of the nearest mainland, but slightly different
–> suggested that variations depend on how long they had been separated
–> Initial separation likely occurred due to natural disasters
Galapagos finches
Finches had evolved into 14 separate species in 2 mil years, varying in
a) environmental preferences
b) shape of beaks
c) food preferences
Why did Darwin use the word “transmutation” instead of of “evolution”
The word “evolution” had a teleological meaning in Darwins time, whereas “transmutation” was more neutral
Why did Darwin speak of “gradual” changes, when speaking of an earthquake and his theory in general ?
“Gradual changes” meant “step like changes” in Darwins time, not slow + steady changes
What is the scientific meaning of “random” ?
Knowing the probabilities of each outcome in advance
–> we can predict the distributions of the outcome
Natural theology (former version of intelligent design)
Refers to the search for God in nature
–> Intricate/complex adaptations of organisms, with their precise functions, imply a divine creator
Intelligent design
Subgroup of creationism
Accept most science, but want supernatural propositions to be considered as part of science
–> include
a) Irreducible complexity
b) Specified complexity
Irreducible complexity
If you find a complex structure, that if you removed one of its parts, it would no longer work, one most admit that its structure + function count have evolved by natural means
Specified complexity
If you can rule out the possibility that a structure evolved either by natural processes or chance, then you must accept supernatural creatures being involved
How did Darwin impact Psychology ?
- His theory gave rise to small fields in psychology, who in turn gained in popularity (Comparative psychology)
- Psychologists investigated individual difference in e.g. intelligence (Galton)
- Psychology has more biological underpinnings
- His principles are invaluable tools for mapping the structure of the modern human mind
Evolutionary psychology
Theoretical lens, that is informing all branches of psychology, and is based on a series of premises
- Evolutionary processes have sculpted the brain + body
- Psychological adaptations have contributed to survival + adaptations
- Adaptations differ in some important ways from their ancestors
Social Darwinism
States that the best competitors in a competitive situation will win
–> humans are part of a natural world, which is characterized by relentless struggle for existence in which the strongest, must cunning will prevail
Creationism
Belief that God created heaven and earth
–> their explanation of how the world was created
Altruism
Altruism opposes the survival of the fittest theory
–> counterargument to Natural selection
Neo-Darwinism
All modern knowledge of genetics that were added to Darwins original theory
Eugenics
Refers to the science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics
Lamarck
First one to have a comprehensive understanding on evolution
- New varieties actively strive to better themselves
- The “good” acquired characteristics are passed on to the next generations
- Principle of use + disuse
ex. : A giraffes neck will become longer, with its stronger use to reach a tree
Utopian vision
Wallace
Selection will cause altruism to spread (positive)
–> focus will be more on moral and mental abilities of people rather than physical
