1. Darwin & Natural Selection

Natural selection (core idea)

Variation is heritable, affects survival or reproduction, and leads to differential reproductive success.

Evolution by natural selection falsifiability

Evolution makes testable predictions and has been observed directly.

Evolution timescale

Evolution can occur both gradually and rapidly.

Peppered moth example

Demonstrates rapid evolution through differential survival.

Human evolution origin

Humans share a common ancestor with other primates.

Progress in evolution

Evolution is not progressive and has no end goal.

Fitness (evolutionary)

Ability to pass genes to the next generation.

Survival of the fittest meaning

Survival of individuals that are fit enough to reproduce.

Teleological fallacy

Natural selection does not act on needs or intentions.

Population vs individual evolution

Populations evolve, individuals do not.

Constraints on natural selection

Trade-offs, historical constraints, environmental mismatch.

Psychological mismatch

Adaptive in ancestral environments but maladaptive today.

Genetics and environment

Traits require both genetic input and environmental input.

Altruism explanation

Altruism evolves via individual-level benefits, not group benefit.

Group selection misconception

Traits benefiting the group but harming individuals are unstable.

Evolution and religion

Evolution and religion address different explanatory domains.

Sexual selection

A process favoring traits that increase mating success rather than survival

Intersexual selection

Mate choice by the opposite sex

Intrasexual selection

Competition with same-sex rivals for mates

Evolutionary fitness

The ability to pass genes to the next generation

Why group selection is problematic

Selfish individuals can outcompete group-beneficial traits

Proximate Explanations

Immediate triggers like biology, emotions, or learned habits.

Ultimate Explanation

Survival and reproduction benefits that helped ancestors pass on genes.

Adaptive Problem

A repeating ancestral challenge that affected survival or reproduction.

EEA (Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness)

The historical conditions and pressures that shaped a species' adaptations.

Just-so Story

An unproven and untestable guess about why a trait evolved.