BIOC54H3 Chapter 1: Textbook notes for lecture 2
Document Summary
Natural selection- living species are the products of an unguided, unconsciousness process of reproductive competition among their ancestors. Natural selection theory provides the principle for studying animal behavior and biology. Evolutionary theory gives us a scientific starting point when we set out to determine why animals do the things they do and why they have genetic, developmental, sensory neuronal, physiological and hormonal mechanisms that make these behavioral abilities possible. Theodosius dobzhansky has stated: nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. Interactions among genes, development and environmental shape evolution of animal behaviors. When biologists ask questions about behavior of animals, they are guided by darwin"s theory of evolution by natural selection. For example, in bacteria some can replicate more than others. Fitness- an individual pass on its heritable traits to next generation. To reproduce and pass one"s traits on to one"s offspring, an individual must survive long enough to breed.
