Key Concepts in Evolutionary Theory and Psychology

These flashcards cover essential topics related to natural selection, evolutionary psychology, and significant figures in the field.

What are the three essential ingredients of natural selection?

Variation, inheritance, and differential reproductive success.

What does particulate inheritance refer to?

The concept that traits are passed from parents to offspring through discrete units called genes.

When did Neanderthals go extinct?

Approximately 40,000 years ago.

What led to the decline of radical behaviorism?

The rise of cognitive psychology and the recognition of mental processes in behavior.

What is the Modern Synthesis in evolutionary theory?

The integration of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection with genetics, emphasizing particulate inheritance.

What is the Garcia Effect?

A conditioned taste aversion where an organism learns to avoid a food that made it ill.

What is inclusive fitness?

The total effect an individual has on propagating its genes by producing offspring and helping relatives.

Who is Konrad Lorenz and what is his contribution to ethology?

He is the founder of ethology, known for his work on imprinting, particularly with ducklings.

What is the significance of parental investment in evolutionary psychology?

It refers to the theoretical concept that the sex with greater reproductive costs will be more selective in mate choice.

What does the term 'fixed action patterns' mean?

Stereotyped sequences of behavior triggered by specific stimuli, characteristic of a species.

What are the two types of sexual selection?

Intrasexual selection (competition between the same sex) and intersexual selection (mate choice based on desired qualities).