Table of Contents
What are three types of evidence that support evolutionary theory?
Evidence for evolution: anatomy, molecular biology, biogeography, fossils, & direct observation.
What are some weaknesses of evolutionary psychology?
Criticisms include 1) disputes about the testability of evolutionary hypotheses, 2) alternatives to some of the cognitive assumptions (such as massive modularity) frequently employed in evolutionary psychology, 3) claimed vagueness stemming from evolutionary assumptions (e.g. uncertainty about the environment of …
What factors trigger the evolution of a species?
Evolution is a consequence of the interaction of four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for an environment’s limited supply of the resources that individuals need in order to …
What are the advances in evolutionary theory?
Advances in modern evolutionary theory heralded by inclusive fitness theory and the “gene’s-eye” perspective guide researchers to phenomena Darwin could not have envisioned, such as inherent and predictable forms of within-family conflict and sexual conflict between males and females.
Does evolutionary theory have a place in psychology?
The incorporation of evolutionary theory into psychology has waxed and waned in the 150 years since Darwin (1859) predicted that the field would be based on a new foundation. There are many notable examples of psychological theories with evolutionary bases, such as Bowlby’s (1969) model of attachment, yet these are often isolated examples.
What is an example of evolution by chance?
For example, a phenomenon known as genetic drift can also cause species to evolve. In genetic drift, some organisms—purely by chance—produce more offspring than would be expected. Those organisms are not necessarily the fittest of their species, but it is their genes that get passed on to the next generation.
What is the origin of ideas about evolution?
Ideas aimed at explaining how organisms change, or evolve, over time date back to Anaximander of Miletus, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 500s B.C.E. Noting that human babies are born helpless, Anaximander speculated that humans must have descended from some other type of creature whose young could survive without any help.