Kin selection

Charles Darwin. Evolution suggested that living organisms are not in a constant condition, rather, they are changing overtime by different evolutionary mechanisms that cause them to evolve. The mechanisms that cause evolution to take place are natural selection, immigration and migration,…

Since I am a physical anthropology concentration, I’m planning to do my research on the Neanderthal speech gene. This research will most likely be a literature review, if possible I hope there are ways for me to do field work on this topic. Since Neanderthal were the last common ancestors of Homo sapiens, they have a lot more in common than the other species they diverged from. Modern humans are probably the only animal that uses language to communicate with each other, but the question that…

development, various theories and speculations have been established that cloud perception of details. In the “Revenge of the Nerds” from How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker, Pinker addresses what he believes to be the proper analysis of natural selection with his main claim that our predecessors evolved as a result of four main aspects: stereoscopic vision, group living, the hand, and hunting. With a concise organization of ideas, the author’s sub claim and reasons are easily identified which…

From an evolutionary perspective of psychology, human emotions likely served a practical purpose essential for survival, thus being adapted through the generations by the process of natural selection. Essentially, emotions solve adaptive problems. Not surprisingly, most problems from an evolutionary perspective predominantly concern either survival or reproduction, although different emotions have distinct solutions to a variety of situations. For example, the emotion of fear may have the…

Social Darwinism originated during the late nineteenth century, a time commonly referred to as the Gilded Age, which was a time of industrialization and immigration. This concept stems off of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection. Following his hypothesis, a man named Herbert Spencer extrapolated this idea to the human race. Believing that some people were born to succeed and reproduce, while some solely existed to suffer and die off, is the summary of his mindset.…

Squirrels, likewise to humans and non-human animals, adjust their behaviors in accordance to seasonal changes. One key behavior that has been shown to vary by season is squirrel foraging behavior. It is important to understand this relationship in order to promote the well-being of squirrels by ensuring their ability to acquire energy-rich food year round. In a study conducted by researchers Everts, Strijkstra, Hut, Hoffmann, and Millesi (2004), it was shown that aboveground activity level…

Faith and reason often go hand in hand simply because of the fact that one could argue that one does not exist without the other. The major arguments for them going hand in hand is that someone can be faithful or unfaithful to a voice of reason or have reason to be faithful or unfaithful. One could also argue that faith and reason could be divided into two separate categories, or that they’re considered to be two separate things. In this case Elizabeth A. Johnson and Charles Darwin would…

Evolutionary synthesis is described as “a unified theory of evolution that combines genetics with natural selection” (Larson 2014:42) and points out that natural selection, ,gene flow, mutation and genetic drift are the four causes for evolution. Gene flow focuses on the spread of new genetic information between populations of the same kind (Larson 2014:44). This really is how genes spread from one population to the next. There are many factors that come into place when looking at gene flow.…

The article begins with explaining how dinosaurs once roamed the Earth and over time evolved into the feathered birds we have come to know today. The terrifying beast went from having enormous teeth to simple bird beaks. How the dinosaur’s mouth has transformed continued to be a mystery, but a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provided insight into a potential evolutionary mechanism. Amy Balanoff and a team of evolutionary biologist used fossils…

The works of Michael Shermer explain the reasons behind why people believe. In his book, “Why Darwin Matters”, Shermer examines both why people are prone to religious tendencies, and why these tendencies can so often lead to conflict with modern scientific study. This book is significant for both its eloquence in delivery, amiableness of language, and thoroughness in presenting its arguments. Shermer is both methodical and fair, in how he presents the vast majority of the most oft used…