PSYCO104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Eusociality, Morning Sickness, Omnivore

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCO104
• Professor: Geoff Hollis

Document Summary

Rather, genes that give rise to features are passed on. Your genetics can be passed on by ensuring that others besides yourself survive and reproduce. An individuals actions on the reproductive success of genetic relatives, weighted by genetic similarity. If we only consider classical fitness, some animal behavior seems rather unusual (e. g. , eusocial insects, turkey wingman behavior). In the case of eusocial insects (termites, bees), although the workers are sterile, the queen carries 100% of their genetic material. Therefore it is advantageus to the workers to participate and work for the colony. In other social structures, often a small cost to self can result in a return on that investment later on, in the form of "favour payback" even when not related. Characteristics that are with adaptations, but do not solve an adaptive problem. For example, bellybuttons do not serve any specific purpose, yet everyone has them.