Evolution of Sexuality Flashcards

Fitness

Probability of production and amount of offspring you reproduce

Proximate

Mechanical explanation of how trait operates; ex: Bioengineer will look at antlers and understand how the structure of buck's antlers serve as a strong apparatus (How does the trait work?)

Ultimate Causation

What is the trait for? "What adaptive problem does the trait address?/Enhance fitness?"

Ontogeny

What is the trait for? "What adaptive problem does the trait address?/Enhance fitness?"

Phylogeny

Evolutionary; What is the evolutionary history of the trait?

Inheritance is particulate:

meaning genes are passed down intact despite being combined with genes from other parent during reproduction

Muller's Rachet

Mutations happen, random changes in the genome, filtering out a bunch of bad changes to find a good one

Will accumulate in a lineage during parthenogenesis

Red Queen Hypothesis

Pathogens can evolve faster than their hosts, because they can evolve faster, recombination of new genomes create newer ways to combat pathogens

Incest

Mating with a family member, innate aversion to incest, need for gene diversity, only in immediate family

Disgust

Related to evolution, by having a level of disgust related to sex or disease protects us

-Olfactory senses play a heavy roll in this

Hairlessness

Pubic and armpit hair act as amplifiers for scent communication and things about your health (how far or close someone is genetically to you)

Cuckholdry

When a male unknowingly invests resources (time, care, protection) in offspring that are not genetically his, typically because his partner had sexual relations with another male.

Paternity Confidence

Male confidence of a child being their own

Coyness

Demands a female makes on a male in order to mate with him (heightened selectivity)

EX: female bird making a male build a nest; show his prowess before she says OKAY I will mate with you (that is the female bird being coy)

EX: an engagement ring is demanded by female human before male has access to mate

Jealousy

An emotional state triggered by a perceived threat to a valued relationship

Proprietary

The tendency to view a romantic partner as something one has exclusive rights over, especially sexually. In evolutionary psychology, male sexual proprietariness refers to behaviors aimed at controlling a partner's sexual access to reduce cuckoldry risk

EPC

Sexual activity that occurs outside a primary pair bond (i.e., cheating). In evolutionary terms, it can sometimes increase reproductive success (e.g., gaining better genes or more offspring), depending on context.

Sexual Dimorphism

the systematic difference in form, color, size, or behavior between males and females of the same species, often driven by sexual selection and competition for mates.

Intrasexual Selection

Competition within the same sex (usually male vs. male) for access to mates. Leads to traits like size, strength, weapons (horns, antlers)

Intersexual Selection

mate choice between sexes (usually female choice). Leads to traits that attract mates like bright colors, displays, songs

Mitosis

cell division for growth and repair → produces 2 identical diploid cells.

Somatic / body cells

Used as a mode of asexual reproduction

Only one cell division

Two daughter cells → genetically similar from each other ; diploid → two sets of chromosomes

Meiosis

Cell division for gametes (sperm/eggs) → produces 4 genetically different haploid cells and increases genetic variation.

Reproductive cells (sperm/ ovum)

Happens with males and females

Used as a mode of sexual reproduction

Two successive cell division

4 daughter cells → genetically different from each other

Haploid → one set of chromosomes

Altruism

Hamilton's Rule

Allele

Allele is a version of a gene

Genes

Genotype is the genetic make up

Phenotype

Phenotype is what you can see

Natural Selection

traits that help survival get passed down; increases survival; environment impacting

Sexual Selection

individuals with certain traits are more successful at reproducing and obtaining mates; process of obtaining a mate

Nepotism

Helping relatives more than non relatives

Hamilton's Rule

Ego's inclusive fitness will increase when there is either a benefit to ego or the cost to their ego is less than the benefit to their kin

Effectively Polygynous

Variance in fitness among males exceeds variance in fitness among females

Effectively polyandrous

variance in fitness among females exceeds variance in fitness among males

Effectively monogamous

variance in fitness within one sex is the same as variance in fitness within the other sex

Prestige

Sperm Competition

if multiple males mate with a female, the sperm are competing to see whose sperm will leave offspring

Fisherian Runaway

A specific trait starts being preferred, then becomes enhanced leading to an escalation in trait salience and female preference.

Life history theory

a scientific approach that explains how natural selection influences patterns in reproduction, survival, and life span

Discriminative parental solicitude

Traits that reduce the chances that they are parasitized

The parents try to tell the difference among offspring that's theres and aren't theres

The ones better at identifying their own offspring will have better fitness

There's an arms race, because the eggs will be distinct to the species for parents to identify them but the parasite species will evolve their eggs