Scientists have typically believed that sex differences are solely based on biological features, such as genes, hormones, and the brain. People never really believed that environmental influences could have an effect on something that is biologically determined. However, within Wade’s essay “The New Science of Sex Difference,” Wade analyzes the biological bases, such as genes, hormones, and brains, in which she explores the effects these mechanisms have under different social factors. Evidently, Wade investigates whether or not social influences have an effect on an individuals genes’ that may account for these so-called sex differences.…
For example a bird’s beak may be longer or shorter depending on how they can attain food in the location they reside. Natural selection has different branches to it; the one studied in this lab is called directional selection. Directional selection is when an extreme phenotype is favoured over other physical alleles (Reece). The directional selection that may be present within this study is if gall size determines if the larvae is dead or…
Depending on the conclusion of the experiment, selection pressure for or against phenotype may improve or prevent reproductive success (fitness) and survival. The hypothesis being tested is that brighter phenotypes will experience negative…
Sexual selection, is a type of natural selection that operates on only one sex within a species. It is the result of competition for mates. (Textbook) By engaging in infanticide, the male primates are improving their opportunities to reproduce by eliminating dependent offspring of a future mate. Therefore, they are reducing the competition for mates and improving their own reproductive fitness.…
Stratification between genders is driven both biologically and socially. From birth male and females are given different physiological traits. Each gender is assigned XX or…
Commonly, sexual selection changes with the seasons and level of development of an organism. “Seasonal changes in pheromone-detection ability and olfaction sensitivity over the reproductive cycle have been observed in mammals, birds, and teleost, but such seasonal shifts in the visual system are less well-developed” It has been hypothesized that three-spine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, are more sensitive to red during the summer than the winter, which could be linked to the desire to perceive the red breeding color of males. One of three-spined stickleback male’s prominent sexual characteristics is their breeding color, which are blue eyes and a red belly. Many previous studies have been performed to show that their red belly is a…
Male traits signal health and vigor, which are used to choose a mate, this may differ among populations. The female chooses a mate with the ability to provide resources for breeding, like food and parental care; which is important to the female and those that have genetic qualities like immunity which is passed to the offspring. Sometimes the mate choice is based upon the male’s secondary sexual trait. Some females prefer male-male competition to select a mate. Some select according to size or color of the yellow warbler.…
In the period from 1860-1900, Darwin developed his theory of natural selection. Natural selection was the idea that a dominant species would overcome all the rest. This sparked many ideas and philosophies, such as a weakening in the church, the rise of Social Darwinism, and a surge of new ideas and thought. The church had always been the lead in the sciences of the day, but when scientists started to challenge the church, their strength began to falter.…
There are four main agents of evolution; mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection. Of those four agents, natural selection is responsible for the majority of adaptations and genetic variability that leads to greater survival and reproduction. Natural selection is the differentiation in reproduction based on genetic constitution. In a given plant population, natural selection begins with a single mutation. Mutations themselves are completely random and can potentially increase, decrease, or have no effect on fitness (Paleontology, 2008).…
Over time, the traits of the lighter colored mice will become more prevalent and better suited for its habitat by adaptation. There are three types of natural selection: directional selection, stabilizing selection, and disruptive selection. Directional selection occurs when individuals have one specific extreme of an inherited trait that gives an advantage over the rest of the population. The example of mice with a lighter coat color surviving predators is an example of directional…
Biologists at the University of California, Riverside have made an incredible evolutionary discovery that links sexual selection and placentation (Science Daily, 2014). The study of 150 species of Poeciliidae (Figure 1), describes the morphologies of males in species with placentas. Sexual selection- “special case” of natural selection, which acts on an organism’s ability to obtain, or successfully copulate with a mate, is not exceedingly important in species with placentas (Science Daily, 2014). For instance, guppies, platys, swordtails, and mollies (Figure 2), are apart of the family Poeciliidae and are extremely varied: bright colouration, decoration, or courtship display. In this case of Poeciliidae family, the species are non-placental…
Process and analyse information from secondary sources to explain a modern example of ‘natural’ selection. (Structural, Physiological, Behaviour) Some organisms, such as bacteria and insects, produce large numbers of offspring. Amongst large numbers of bacteria offspring, some individuals may carry genes that give them resistance to antibiotics. These individuals are then able to survive and reproduce with reduced competition from other members of the same species. Each generation will produce a higher percentage of individuals containing the resistant genes.…
To understand the origin of whales, it's necessary to have a basic understanding of how natural selection works. Natural selection can change a species in small ways, causing a population to change color or size over the course of several generations. This is called "microevolution." But natural selection is also capable of much more.…
In regards to gender, the “nature versus nurture” debate refers the opposition between a biologically-based conception and one grounded in social psychology. On the “nature” side, gender is a matter of a person 's physiological makeup. There are varying accounts of what body parts specifically are indicative of gender, with gonads, chromosomes, and reproductive organs being among the contenders for criterion of gender. Regardless, on this view gender and sex are correlated, and “male” and “female” are the only existing categories. Those individuals born with the appropriate “male” physiology are men, and those with the corresponding correct “female” anatomy are women.…
Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that occurs by random chance rather than natural selection. In genetic drift, a population experiences a change in the frequency of a given allele, prompted by random luck rather than a need for adaptation. This differs from natural selection, in which allelic frequency is altered based on the fittest genes surviving to reproduce and the weaker genes dying off. Genetic drift tends to be a phenomenon amongst smaller populations, while natural selection holds sway in larger populations. Life (168)…