Biology Chapter on Evolution and Behavior

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Questions and Answers

What experimental evidence disproved the spontaneous generation hypothesis?

Maggots occurred only in uncovered jars. (correct)

Microbial growth was observed in all flasks.

Flies laid eggs in covered jars.

Maggots were present in covered jars.

Which concept emphasizes that organisms better suited to their environment are more likely to survive?

Evolution by natural selection (correct)

Generational development

Instinctual adaptation

Survival of the fittest

Why is the belief that behavior is solely genetic considered a fallacy?

Genetics serves as the only influence on behavior.

Behavior can be entirely changed by genes.

Gene expression is solely determined by environment.

Every behavior is influenced by both biology and environment. (correct)

What is an example given that showcases humans' complex understanding of color?

Humans are adapted to detect orange and red colors related to food. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What incorrect assumption is highlighted regarding the concept of nature versus nurture?

Nature cannot be influenced by nurture. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What concept explains that each parent contributes one copy of the heritable particle to its offspring?

Particulate inheritance (C) Signup and view all the answers

What type of selection favors variants that are extreme in one direction of the mean?

Directional selection (A) Signup and view all the answers

How do octopuses differ from humans in terms of vision?

Octopuses can see a wider spectrum of light (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does radiometric dating rely on to determine the age of materials?

Decay of radioactive isotopes (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which dating method is used specifically for dating materials up to about 50,000 years?

Carbon-14 dating (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of cladistics in biological classification?

Relatedness only (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of selection retains average variants while eliminating extremes?

Stabilizing selection (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic of peacock feathers makes them a costly investment for survival?

Increases predator visibility (C) Signup and view all the answers

What did Mendel's conclusions about inheritance suggest?

Inheritance is particulate rather than fluid (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of stratigraphic layers in dating methods?

They help establish relative dating through layer comparison (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does inclusive fitness primarily measure?

The reproductive success of an individual relative to their kin (A) Signup and view all the answers

Hamilton's rule is expressed in what mathematical form?

r * B > C (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of altruism, why do worker bees often refrain from reproduction?

To work collectively for the benefit of the colony (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'Cinderella effect' refer to?

Stepparents exhibiting higher rates of harm towards stepchildren (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is genetic drift primarily responsible for?

Random changes in allele frequencies over generations (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanism can rescue inbred populations by introducing genetic diversity?

Gene flow (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does high gene flow affect population selection?

It can swamp out local genetic variation and thus reduce selection (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason biologists often disagree on whether humans are eusocial?

Human societies exhibit unique social structures unlike other eusocial species (A) Signup and view all the answers

What evolutionary role does dispersal play?

It facilitates gene flow when individuals breed in new populations (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary driving force for evolution in large populations with ample genetic variations?

Natural selection (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why might a population experience a bottleneck effect?

A catastrophic event causing many deaths (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between personal fitness and inclusive fitness?

Inclusive fitness encompasses personal fitness and support to relatives (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential evolutionary reason for infanticide in human societies?

When the child is unrelated, such as in stepfamilies (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does the chance of an allele getting fixed in a population relate to its starting frequency?

It is directly proportional to the starting frequency. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes selection from drift in evolutionary processes?

Selection is based on fitness and drift is influenced by chance. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of pleiotropy?

A single gene influencing multiple traits. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why do some traits not evolve adaptations despite natural selection?

As a result of evolutionary byproducts. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the heterozygote advantage imply?

Alleles causing lower fitness can still be maintained if the heterozygous genotype is advantageous. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How do societies in hotter environments typically differ in their use of spices compared to cooler ones?

They tend to use more spices. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What happens when the common genotype has the highest fitness in a population?

It can cause directional selection. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a top-down approach in studying evolutionary psychology?

It formulates hypotheses from existing theories. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What weakness is associated with experimental observations in evolutionary research?

They cannot capture natural settings accurately. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Under what condition can alleles with reduced fitness be maintained in a population?

When they confer a heterozygote advantage. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does balancing selection aim to achieve in a population?

Maintain genetic variation within the population. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What advantage do cross-cultural methods provide in studying traits?

They help form hypotheses about adaptive or culturally learned traits. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does bipedalism provide an advantage for humans compared to other primates?

It enhances the ability to carry food and see farther. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How do comparing males and females help in evolutionary psychology?

It allows hypotheses formation regarding sexual adaptations. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following reflects a common misconception about evolutionary psychology?

It can demonstrate or prove many concepts. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect is suggested to be linked with the complexity of social interactions in early humans?

Increased left hemisphere development. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary strength of using physiological and brain imaging methods in evolutionary psychology?

They help test biological substrates of psychological adaptations. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is one factor that contributes to fitness in the context of gene x environment interactions?

The environment can enhance former fitness landscapes. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What did the research on food aversions in pregnant women highlight?

Specific foods, like alcohol and meat, are commonly avoided. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the presence of the gene FoxP2 facilitate in humans?

Speech and language development. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant outcome of studying evolutionary psychology with data from hunter-gatherer societies?

It offers insights into ancestral congruence with human societies. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What role does inclusive fitness play in evolutionary theory?

It supports cooperation and altruism for reproductive success of relatives. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What advantage does a lower larynx provide to humans in terms of communication?

It facilitates clearer and more diverse sounds. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What evolutionary hypothesis focuses on the development of tool-making skills in early humans?

Tool maker and hunter hypothesis. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What impact does climate change have on the fitness landscape of a species?

It can adjust the fitness landscape and available adaptation peaks. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does negative frequency-dependent selection imply regarding fitness?

Rarer phenotypes have increased fitness. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why might cooperation and altruism arise in eusocial species, according to evolutionary theory?

They help ensure the survival of shared genes among relatives. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is one proposed reason humans may have developed larger brains compared to other primates?

To support complex social interactions. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the terms 'adaptation' and 'adaptive'?

'Adaptation' refers to a trait that is favored by natural selection, while 'adaptive' describes behavior that increases reproductive success. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT a type of adaptation as described in the text?

Functional byproduct (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why the statement 'If we evolved to be like this, its our nature to be like this' is considered incorrect?

Evolutionary change happens gradually, and current traits may not be perfectly adapted to the present environment. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a cause of species change proposed by Jean Baptiste?

Survival of the fittest (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference in the ideas of Jean Baptiste and Darwin about species change?

Jean Baptiste believed in the inheritance of acquired characteristics, while Darwin proposed natural selection as the primary mechanism. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of Darwin's voyage on the HMS Beagle?

It allowed Darwin to observe and compare species across different environments, leading to his theory of natural selection. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of Darwin's theory of natural selection helped explain the origin of complex and efficient biological systems?

The idea that successful traits are heritable, leading to gradual change over generations. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the major limitations of Darwin's theory of evolution, even in its original form?

The theory failed to explain how traits were inherited from parents to offspring. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a dysfunctional byproduct?

The appendix in humans (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Spontaneous Generation Hypothesis

Disproven by Redi and Pasteur's experiments
Redi observed maggots appearing only in uncovered jars of meat, indicating flies laid eggs.
Pasteur demonstrated microbial growth in uncovered broth flasks, while covered flasks remained clear.

General Evolution Theory

Organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on advantageous traits.

Human Place in the Universe

Understanding our place in the universe is humbling and freeing.
Examples like instinct blindness highlight complex evolved behaviors.
Our evolved color perception aids in identifying food.

Nature vs. Nurture

Fallacy 1: Behavior is neither solely genetic nor solely environmental; it's an interaction.
Fallacy 2: Evolutionary adaptations do not preclude change; we can adapt to changing environments.
Fallacy 3: Evolutionary past does not dictate present behavior; we are plastic and flexible.

People tend to overestimate their own abilities relative to others (better than average effect).

Natural Selection Dating Methods & Systematics

Before Darwin:
- Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed species change, driven by a "natural tendency" and inheritance of acquired characteristics.
- Georges Cuvier proposed catastrophism, explaining species extinction and replacement.
Before Darwin (cont.):
- Malthus noted populations grow faster than resources.
Darwin:
- Darwin's voyage on the Beagle, and observations of Galapagos finches suggested common ancestry.
- Species struggle for resources, leading to the survival and reproduction of the best-suited individuals in a particular environment.
- Gradual changes over many generations lead to complexity and efficiency.
Darwin (cont):
- The Origin of Species highlighted natural selection, abundance of heritable variation, and the struggle to survive.
Mendel's Contributions:
- Mendel's pea experiments showed traits are inherited in particulate units (genes).
- Each parent contributes one gene copy.
- Gene expression is influenced by both parental genes.

Dating Methods

Principles:
- Matter degrades over time; radioactive isotopes decay.
- Layers of sediment represent time (e.g., volcanic activity).
Methods:
- Carbon-14: Used for materials up to ~50,000 years old.
- Stratigraphic layers: Provides relative age based on geological layers.
- Paleomagnetism: Uses Earth's magnetic field to determine age.
- Radiometric dating: Measures decay of radioactive isotopes to determine age (e.g., potassium-argon).

Systematics (Phenetics and Cladistics)

Phenetics: Uses anatomical similarities and adaptations.
Cladistics: Based solely on relatedness.

Types of Selection

Directional Selection: Favors extreme trait values in one direction.
Stabilizing Selection: Favors intermediate trait values.
Diversifying (Divergent) Selection: Favors extreme trait values in both directions.

Variation Maintenance

Mutation-selection balance: Mutations introduce new variation; if selection is weak, variation is maintained.
Frequency-dependent selection: Individual fitness depends on genotype frequency in the population.
Heterozygote advantage: Heterozygous genotypes have higher fitness than homozygous genotypes.

Human Milieu and Inclusive Fitness

Evolutionary Adaptations: Adaptations are traits favoured by natural selection, useful for a specific role.
Adaptive Behavior: Functioning behaviour that increases reproductive success.
EEA (Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness): Pleistocene environment humans evolved in.

Bipedalism

Humans are bipedal, more efficient than other primates.
Adaptations contributing to bipedalism: broader hips, longer legs, curved lumbar, etc.
Hypotheses for bipedalism: "man the hunter," "man the scavenger," "woman the gatherer".

Brain, Intelligence and Language

Humans have larger brains than apes.
Brain size increase ~3 million years ago.
Hypotheses: Tool use / hunting, socialization, and complex interactions.
Language development: lower larynx for sound production, hypoglossal nerve size, spinal cord width
Hypotheses: language and tools, language and art, socialization.

Inclusive Fitness

Inclusive fitness: overall reproductive success of relatives.
Hamilton's rule (r*B>C) explains altruistic behavior related to kin.
Kin selection related to altruism, and inclusive fitness.
Humans give more to kin, evidence from Tsimane people of Bolivia and the "Cinderella effect."
"Cinderella effect": stepparents > biological parents in terms of child abuse and injury rate.

Other Pressures (Death, Poison, Infection)

Death: Evolution hasn't produced immortality due to pleiotropy (genes affect multiple traits).
Infections & Poisons: Omnivorous animals more susceptible; sickness during pregnancy can result in dislike of certain foods/spices.

Studying Evolutionary Psychology

Top-down vs. bottom-up: Top-down is theory-driven; bottom-up develops hypotheses from observation.
Four Questions:
Proximate mechanisms, development, function, evolutionary history).
Criticisms: evolutionary psych isn't always experimental.
Methods (comparing species; cross-cultural; Physiological)

Data Sources

Experimental Observations: Strengths = highly controlled. Weaknesses = lack of setting.
Archaeological Records: Strengths = snapshots; weakness = lack of soft tissue, incomplete.
Hunter-gatherer societies: Strengths = insight into ancient lifestyles; Weakness = biased sample.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore the key concepts in evolution, the spontaneous generation hypothesis, and the nature vs. nurture debate through this engaging quiz. Delve into historical experiments by Redi and Pasteur, and understand how various factors shape behavior and adaptations in organisms. Challenge your knowledge on human evolution and its implications in the broader universe.