Genes, Evolution, and Behaviour Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering the fundamentals of genetics, heredity, behavior genetics, and evolutionary psychology based on the lecture material.

Evolution

The change in heritable traits in a population over time.

Natural Selection

The process by which evolution occurs, often characterized as "survival of the fittest."

Behaviour

The actions of an organism performed in response to a specific stimulus.

Gene

The basic unit of heredity that contains instructions passed from parent to offspring.

DNA Bases

The chemical building blocks of genetic information: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine ($A$, $T$, $G$, and $C$).

Chromosomes

Strands of DNA located in the nucleus; humans have $46$ chromosomes arranged in $23$ pairs in each cell except red blood cells.

Allele

A specific version of a gene, such as a wild-type (original) or mutant (modified) version.

Genotype

The specific genetic makeup of an individual that is present from birth and remains unchanging.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of their genotype and the environment.

Dominant Gene

A gene that controls the characteristic displayed if it is present in a pair.

Recessive Gene

A gene whose characteristic will only show if the partner gene in the pair is also recessive.

Polygenic Transmission

Occurs when a number of gene pairs combine to create a single phenotypic trait.

Epigenetics

Lasting changes in gene expression during development caused by external or environmental factors rather than changes to the DNA sequence itself.

Recombinant DNA Procedures

The process of using enzymes to cut DNA, combining it with DNA from another organism, and inserting it into a host cell to duplicate genes or proteins.

Gene Knockout Procedure

A method used to alter a specific gene so it cannot function, allowing researchers to observe the resulting changes in behaviour or biology.

Behaviour Genetics

The study of how genetic and environmental components together lead to changes in behaviour.

Heredity

The passage of specific characteristics from parents to offspring by way of genes.

Heritability

A measure of how much the variation in a characteristic within a specific population can be attributed to genetic differences.

Heritability Coefficient

An estimate represented as a numerical value (e.g., $0.50-0.70$ for intelligence) indicating how much a characteristic is due to genetic factors.

Concordance Rate

The rate of co-occurrence of a characteristic among individuals; higher rates with increased relatedness suggest a genetic contribution.

Monozygotic Twins

Identical twins who develop from one zygote and share $100\%$ of their genetic material.

Dizygotic Twins

Fraternal twins who develop from two separate eggs and share approximately $50\%$ of their genetic material.

Reaction Range

The range of possibilities (such as $15$ to $20$ points on an IQ scale) for the expression of a trait that a genetic code allows.

The Big Five

The five universal dimensions of personality: Extraversion-Introversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness.

Evolutionary Psychology

A field that studies how human behaviours and actions have evolved in response to environmental demands over time.

Adaptations

Specific traits that occur due to natural selection because they increase the likelihood of survival.

Broad Adaptations

Adaptations with wide utility, such as the ability to learn language or perform logical reasoning.

Domain-specific Adaptations

Adaptations evolved to solve particular problems, such as mate selection or choosing safe foods.

Parental Investment

The time, effort, and risk associated with caring for offspring; humans are typically $k$-selected, involving high investment in few offspring.

Altruism

A behavior where one individual helps another at a personal cost.

Kin Selection Theory

A theory suggesting that altruism arose to increase the likelihood of relatives (who share similar genes) surviving.

Reciprocal Altruism Theory

A theory stating that altruism contributes to long-term cooperation because individuals remember who helped them and return the favor later.

Dominance Hierarchies

Social structures where animals establish a "rank" or pecking order to determine access to resources.

Genetic Determinism

The false belief that the effects of genes are concrete and cannot be changed by environment or choice.

Social Darwinism

The fallacious idea that those at the top of a social hierarchy are inherently the "best" or most fit.