Task 4 - evolutionary Theory Flashcards
Darwin - medical school Edinburgh
- got introduced to geology, history of earth and fossils
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Darwin - college Cambridge
- courses of Mathematics, classics, theology
- botany lectures! ( from Henslow)
Main findings - Darwins voyage
1) fossils in Patagonia
2) Geographical distribution patterns of South American rhea
3) animal life of Galapagos
Charles Lyell
- reaction of biblical authority as source of geological explanation
- earths surface shows no evidence of stages
- constant changes
- earth had no beginning/ending
-> inspired Darwin: he believed in the power of small and gradual changes
3 main parts in Darwins theory
1) Inheritance -> gleicher vorfahre
2) variation
3) Selection -> link between new variations and chances to survive (zufällig)
- > SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Gaps in Darwins theory
- wasn’t understood what origin of life was
- no idea how variations in characteristics were passed down to generations
Reactions to evolutionary theory
- many accepted evolution but not mechanisms he proposed
- speculation about duration of natural selection & time necessary for species to change
- basis for social Darwinism
Evidence for evolution - then
- diversity of living things
- variation within single species
- appearance and disappearance of species
- comparing fossils!
- comparing embryos
- distribution of species in many lands
- variations in species dependent on how long they were separated
Allopathic speciation
-new species due to long-term physical separation
Sympatric speciation
-same geographic region
Darwins role in Psychology
- stated that humans & animals have a lot in common -> comparative psychology
- lead to research in individual differences
- evolutionary psychology informs all fields of psychology
- breaks down barriers between traditional sub disciples of psychology
Eugenics (positive, negative)
- set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of human population
- negative eugenic: discourage reproduction by those with undesirable traits
- positive eugenics: encourage reproduction by those with desirable traits
-controlling reproduction
Social Darwinism
- Darwins theory used to justify certain political, social and economic views
- emerged in America, mid 1940s
- used to justify Laisser-faire behavior at home & colonalisation in rets of world
Misunderstandings with Evolutionary theory
1) There is NO DIRECTION in genetic changes
- > genetic material has no knowledge of the environment, cannot change in desirable direction
2) Organisms do NOT become BETTER or stronger
Francis Galton ( 1822-1911)
- influenced by Darwin
- searched to find evidence for inheritance of features -> especially mental qualities
- founder of modern eugenics
- wanted to show heredity of intelligences -> basis for intelligence tests