Rene Descartes - advocated philosophy both scientific and religious in nature

-2 parts: 1. Physical matter, 2. Human mind subject to spiritual forces

study of animal behavior in the wild, grew in Europe while psych was growing in America

-Focused on Instinctive behaviors

1. Even more complex psych changes can be produced by damage or stimulation to brain parts

2. Some nonhuman species possess abilities once though to be purely psychological (purely

Deficiency in awareness of parts of one's own body

-results from damage to Right pariental Lobe

1. Genetics stemming from evolution

2. Experiences

3. Perception of current situation

1. Evolution of fossil records

2. Structural similarities between diverese species

3. Major changes in animals/plants by selective breeding

4. most convincing: Direct obs of evolution in progress

Heritable traits with higher rates of survival most likely to be passed on

-nature selectively breeds the fittest

Allows building of heirarchy and passing of better genes

-dominant females also produce more fit offspring

Promote evolution of new species

-Barrier b/w species and subspecies creates independent evolution of subspecies

-Can be geographic or behavior barrier

-Conspecifics: Members of same species

Animals with Dorsal nerve cords

-ex- vertebrates: Chordates that possess spine bones

First bony fishes to venture out of water and take adv of land benefits

-Larval form must live in water, only adults can survive on land

Evolved from amphibians

-First to lay shell covered eggs and be covered by dry scales

-Greatly reduced reliance on water for survival

Evolved from reptiles, females fed young through mammary glands, stopped laying eggs, nurtured unborn inside body

-Primates evolved from mammals

Primates of family that include humans

-2 types: australopithecus (stood erect) and Homo

-Difficult to reconstruct events of hominid evolution due to lack of evidence

1. Does not proceed in straight line

2. Not always slow and gradual

3. Few products have survived to present day

4. Does not proceed to perfectionism

5. Not all existing structures adaptive

6. Similarities among species not always come from same ancestor

-Incidental nonadpative evolutionary by products

ex- belly button

Similar structures without same ancestor

1. Brain has increased in size over course of evolution

2. Most size increase occured in cerebellum

3. Incr # of Convolutions has greatly increased volume

-more imp than diff are similarities: all brains composed of neural structures

Mating in most species is completely promiscuous, some form mating bonds (most mammals)

-Due to fact mammals give birth to low # of offspring, therefore must protect them

Most common amongst mammals

-One male, more than one female

-males usually do not help in parenting

-Female forms mating bonds with more than one male

-Does not occur in mammals, only species where male contributes more to child rearing

-3% of mammals, including humans

-1 male and one female, incr chances for fit offspring

-need to select fertile females and males that can protect effectively

1. Men value youth and attractiveness, females earning capacity and power

2. Phy. attractiveness best predicts which women will bond w/ men of higher status

3. Attractive strategy of women - Incr. phy attractiveness, men- more power and resources

4. Men more likely to commit adultery

pheno - Observable traits

geno - genetic material passed to offspring responsible for pheno

Process of cell division that produces gametes (egg cells and sperm cells)

-One chromosome from each pair goes to 2 gametes

- Accounts for much genetic diversity within species

-Result is genetic recombination

-Responsible for genetic variations , in meiosis after the lining up stage

-result is genetic recombination

All other cell division in body

-Just prior, chromosomes double so each daughter cell ends up with full amount of genes

-produce no change in dna

1. 2 Strands of DNA unwind

2. Exposed nucleotide bases attract complementary bases

3.  Product is 2 idential DNA molecules

-Essential to mitotic division

Accidental alteration in genes

-Can rarely be proven to be beneficial

-Most cases disapear from gene pool within a few generations

-ex- downsyndrome - extra chromosome in each cell

Genes that contain info needed for protein synthesis

-produce proteins that interact w/ enviornment to influence probability of specific behaviors

-all cells in body contain same structural genes

-expression controlled by operator genes

switch on/off structural genes to initiate synthesis of protein

-Each one controls structural gene or related structure

-Some usually "off" and turned on by DNA-Binding proteins, vice versa

-Major mechanism of how enviornment impacts gene expression

1. DNA structure unravels, serves as template for small strand of RNA

2. Strand of RNA transcribed (transcription) from exposed strand -> mRNA carries code from nucleus

3. In cytoplasm mRNA attaches to ribosome

4. Ribosome moves down strand translating each codon into amino acid (translation).

5. tRNA carries amino acids to ribosome

6. Stop codon reached, protein released into cytoplasm

1. Mutations implicated in several disorders

2. Mutations develop at a consistent rate, used as "evolutionary clock"

-Compiled map of all 3 billions bases of human chromosomes, took about 10 years

-Humans have small # of protein-coding genes (25,000)

-Many overestimated its contribution

Can control DNA and have big impact on development

-Turn off genes, control level of expression, cleave DNA into segments

-Genes that have been damaged by mutation over evolution

-98% of human genome

-Some can turn active and have control over structural genes

-Rats in enriched env performed well, both dull and bright

-Selective breeding based on one trait usually brings other behav traits along with it

-used Cross-fostering control procedure

Single-gene metabolic d/o, urine contains high levels of phenylpyruvic acid

-Abnormal brain development due to low levels of dopamine

-Displays Sensitive period: proper diet in early childhood can reduce effects

Develops in 2 phases: 1. Sensory phase - listening to adults sing and memorize them. 2. Sensorimotor - beings to tweet songs, needs to hear auditory feedback to develop crystalized songs

Age-limited learners song remains unchanged, open-ended learners can change song

-Example of adult Neurogenesis (growth of new neurons)

-Development of single individual - effects of genes and exp is unseperable

-Dev of different individuals - can seperate role of genes and experience

Proportion of variation among one trait in particular study

-NOT ind. development

Certain genes encourage certain experiences which than effect genes

-ex- poor identical twins had IQ hertiability estimate of 0, while rich was close to 1.0

1. Individual neurons

2. Genes and other molecules that are basis for nervous system

3. Ensembles of neurons that create systems and produce behavior