PSYC 3P51 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Kin Selection, Inclusive Fitness, Thomas Robert Malthus
21 Oct 2016
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The idea of evolution is not new and it did not start with charles darwin: anaximander (520bce, georges de cuvier (1790s, jean de lamarck (1809) Few people would argue that life on earth has changed for better or worse over time. We cannot view these changes since they occur over thousands or millions of years. Evolution is a process of gradual change in the characteristics of species. Adaptations (physical features and behaviour) evolve over generations in conformation. Individuals differ in heritable traits and only a subset of each generation reproduces with features in the natural environment. The term survival of the fittest does not mean physically fit . It means those that fit into the environment: those who fit best in the environment. One could say survival of the survivors : those who can reproduce the most to produce the next generation. As the population grows, there is a scarcity of valued resources such as food and shelter.
