Psychology 3228 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Evolutionary Medicine, Arms Race, Heritability

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 3228
• Professor: Caroline Strang

Document Summary

Levels of analysis: medical science aims to, understand etiology (cause, pathogenesis (mechanism) of illness, proximate, darwinian medicine, proposes that evolutionary biology can aid in this process, ultimate. Easy to think of them as organisms and also taking heritability into account. Why do we get sick: arms race with pathogens, design compromises, maintenance of genetic disorders, new environments, diseases of civilization, adaptive responses to disease. Design compromises: humans predisposed to some conditions, due to tradeoffs and design compromises. Selection doesn"t design new traits; mostly tinkers with pre-existing traits: position of trachea and esophagus has changed: so humans have high risk of choking, design compromise, bipedalism associated with problems in childbirth, back problems, foot problems . Childbirth restricts pelvic bone and makes childbirth harder. Sickle cell patients are heterozygotes, which makes them resistant to malaria. Diseases of civilization: anachronistic maladaptations lifestyle differences compared to the eea.