Anthropology: studies human culture and the evolutionary aspects of human biology.

Four main subfields:

Cultural anthropology

Linguistic anthropology

Archaeology

Physical anthropology

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The anthropological perspective

Goals-Extend knowledge to include other cultures-Study: diverse human experiences "within the context of biological and behavioral continuity with other species"-Avoid ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism: viewing other cultures from the inherently biased perspective of one's own culture.

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Science in practice

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Reasoning in generalDeduction: inferring from the general to the specific

All dogs are mammals.Lassie is a dog.Therefore, Lassie is a mammal.

Induction: inferring from the specific to the general

On Earth, my pen falls downward.I am on Earth.Therefore, probably, gravity pulls pens downward.

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Scientific thinking

Science: a body of knowledge gained through observation and experimentation

Science uses

-Empirical data: gained from experiments or making more observations.-Quantitative data: measurable, numerical, quantities (mass, volume, length,...)

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Scientific methodStep 1: make observations: anything you experience with the five senses

Step 2: form a hypothesis: a tentative explanation of our observations

Step 3: Scientific testing: experiment and/or make more observations to confirm, disconfirm, or revise the hypothesis.

-Replicate and repeat

Step 4: Theory: a tested explanation of the facts.

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Hypothesis testing

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Scientific hypotheses are falsifiable: possible to identify observations that disconfirm them.

-Doesn't mean hypothesis is false, only that it's capable of being false.

Easier: hypotheses should be testable: we're able to test and see if it passes or fails a test.

Ch. 2 Scientific thought and Darwin's theory of natural selection

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Pre-scientific thinking

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Common views before the 18th century

Fixity of species

Young Earth

Pre-scientific thinkingChanges before the 18th century

-Discovery of the New World

-New tools (telescope)

-Heliocentrism

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Precursors to evolutionary theoryJohn Ray:

Species: a group of organisms that are reproductively isolated

Carolus Linnaeus: binomial nomenclatureHomo sapiens = Genus species

Precursors to evolutionary theoryGeorges-Louis Buffon: Changes in the environment correlate with changes in an organism

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Precursors to evolutionary theoryJean-Baptiste Lamarck: emphasized organism-environment interaction

First attempt to explain evolution...Inheritance of acquired characteristics

-Traits altered through use or disuse-Altered traits are inherited

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Precursors to evolutionary theoryJean-Baptiste Lamarck: emphasized organism-environment interaction

First attempt to explain evolution...Inheritance of acquired characteristics

-Traits altered through use or disuse-Altered traits are inherited

Problem: says traits are altered during the lifetime of an individual

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Georges Cuvier: tried to explain geology with catastrophism-First to say species go extinct

Charles Lyell: Uniformitarianism explains geology points to an old Earth

https://youtu.be/o_wmulBtWlk

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Thomas Malthus: populations grow exponentially but resources grow linearly-Leads to competition for resources

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-Knew of Lamarck, Buffon, etc.-BFFs with Lyell-5-yr voyage around the world informed his theory of natural selection

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

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Artificial selection-All dogs share a common ancestor-Explains the extreme variation between breeds

Natural selection: artificial selection analogy

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Individuals with favorable traits have higher reproductive success compared to individuals with less favorable traits.

1. All species produce offspring faster than the food supply.

2. There's biological variation in all species.

3. Each generation more offspring are born than survive.

Natural selection in detail - Eight processes

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4. More favorable traits lead to more fit individuals.

5. Environment determines which traits are favorable.

6. Traits are inherited and passed on to yield greater reproductive success.

Natural selection in detail - Eight processes

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7. Changes accumulate over time leading to new species.

8. Geographical isolation causes speciation via selective pressure.

Natural selection in detail - Eight processes

Reproductive success: # of reproductively viable offspring produced.

Fitness: Relative measure of reproductive success.

Selective pressures: Environmental factors determine reproductive success.

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Important terms for evolution by natural selection