"We are what we are because we have been what we have been, and what is needed for solving the problems of human life and motives is not moral estimates but more knowledge"― Sigmund Freud
My years of seeking to understand human behaviour, has led me to explore its roots in biology, psychology, sociology, and ecology. There is so much about human behaviour & its complexity that we still need to comprehend, but here is an attempt to unravel a few of the many facets as a three-part article titled:
- Darwinism and Behavioural Evolution
- Mendelian Genetics and Social Evolution
- Psychological Theories rooted in Bioecology
Darwinism and Behavioural Evolution (Part 1 of 3)
As a Biologist, I have been exposed to Charles Darwin1 and Gregor Mendel2, in the context of understanding evolutionary biology and the genetic inheritance of physical traits and temperament, which are the main focus area in the field of personality psychology.
Charles Darwin is credited with sowing the seeds of Modern Biology with his publication of On the Origin of Species, in which he described his theory of evolution, which is considered as the single most influential theory in biological sciences3. Gregor Mendel had shared the explanation for the questions that Darwin had regarding the intergenerational transference of anatomical, physiological, and behavioural characteristics and the differences that were observed in different species and generations3. Some behaviours such as the ability to find food, shelter, avoid predation, and defend one’s young one (survival behaviours) are behaviours that play an obvious role in evolution. Additionally, social dominance & courtship display also are important behaviours in the evolutionary journey3. The courtship display mentioned earlier, was thought to promote evolution of new species, when some (reproductive) barrier discourages breeding between a subpopulation of the existing species, for example migratory behaviour to a geographically different location and in-breeding in the new location can result in a new species that is capable of surviving in the new environment. Study of human fossils and comparing with the current species, human evolution has been understood to follow this pattern:
Darwin’s theory of evolution was based proof obtained from three kinds of evidence3:
• Documented fossil records through progressively more recent geological layers.
• Structural similarities among living species that suggested that they have evolved from common ancestors.
• The major changes that were seen in plants and animals through the process of selective breeding.
He was the one who proposed that the evolution occurs through natural selection – the process of transfer of heritable traits that are associated with high rates of survival and reproduction being passed on to future generations. The Fitness, as defined by Darwin, was the ability of an organism to survive and contribute its genes to the next generation3 – hence the phrase survival of the fittest– would refer to the adaptability of the organism/species in context of surviving and contributing to the evolutionary process for homonids (humans and their fossil ancestors). The speed of the evolutionary process itself is a matter of intense debate among palaeontologists and beyond the scope of this article, but worth exploring if this is an area that interest you.
How does Evolutionary Biology and Genetics connect in the aspect of Human behaviour? Look forward to the next article…
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_Mendel
- Pinel, John.P.J. (2003). Biopsychology (fifth edition). Chapter 2 - Evolution, Genetics, and Experience: Thinking about the Biology of Behaviour (pg. 23 – 49). Pearson Education, Inc., USA.
Aarthi Prabhakaran
AM314
