Chapter 3: Human Evolution

Nativism

Knowledge of the world is mostly innate, and determines certain abilities

Empircism

At birth, mind is a tabula rasa (empty state), nothing in terms of behavior and knowledge is inherited; al is learned

Interaction is

Certain basic abilities and knowledge are innate, but can be influenced by experienced, which in turn can change what innate behaviors are expressed, which influences what will be experienced, and so on. This view is supported strongly by the available evidence

Genotype

The compete set of an organisms’ genes

Phenotype

The overt characteristics of an organism (the properties we can observe resulting from what genes are expressed)

Monozygotic twins growing up together

Provide data for equal “nature”, similar to”nurture”

Monozygotic twins growing up apart

Provide data for equal “nature”, different “nurture”

Dizygotic twins growing up together

Provides data for similar “nature”, similar “nurture”

Dizygotic twins living apart

Provides data for similar “nature”, different “nurture”

Siblings growing up together

Provides data for similar “nature”, similar “nurture”

Individuals not related to each other living apart

Baseline control group. Provides data for genetically unrelated, separately living individuals that should correlate in IQ scores randomly

Dizygotic (fraternal) twins

Two sperms fertilize two eggs

Monozygotic 9identical) twins

One sperm fertilizes one egg and the zygote splits in two

The multiregional hypothesis

Proposes regional continuity with gene flow maintaining one species

Out of ΑFrida hypothesis

Argues modern humans originated recently in Africa, replacing archaic populations elsewhere

Order

Animals sharing major adaptive traits: mammals with grasping hands/feet, forward-facing eyes, large brains relative to body size) is primate

Family

(Animals generally originating from common ancestor with more detailed morphological similarities) is hominid are (“great apes”, consisting of chimpanzee, gorillas, orang-tuna’s, bonobo)

Genus

(Subdivision of a family — closely related species tat evolved from recent common ancestor) is Homo

Species

Animals that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring is sapiens

Cognitive revolution

Started about 70k years ago

Agricultural (or Neolithic) revolution

STarted about 12k years ago

Scientific revolution

Started about 500 years ago. Galileo, Bacon, Descartes and others developed scientific method to understand nature with the aim to control it (an old human dream , perhaps born it of our past animal in the middle of the food chain)

Industrial Revolution

Started about 200 years ago

Anthropocene

Maybe since 12k years, maybe since the 1960s. Proposed new epoch. Outcomes of agricultural and scientific revolution led to a new era in Earth history, characterized by human ability to modify entire biosphere, changing climate, geology, ecosystems