Explain, with examples, how the processes of natural selection and sexual selection are thought to have contributed to modern-day human behaviour

The first 200 words of this essay...

Explain, with examples, how the processes of natural selection and sexual selection are thought to have contributed to modern-day human behaviour

Human physical and psychological mechanisms are subject to an environment which is ever changing. Selection enables us to develop and so cope with these random changes by selecting the mechanisms which enable us to cope with these external factors and thus making them much more likely to be inherited by our next generation (Clegg, 2007). It is the survival of the gene to which selection refers to as opposed to the species, for example, the gene which enables the individual to reproduce effectively or the gene that predisposition certain behaviours which are most suitable to it's environment will be passed down to future generations. This means that genes that are less effective for survival or reproduction are less likely to be inherited (Barrett et al., 2002 as cited in Clegg, 2007 p121)

It is common practice to divide selection into two process: natural selection; and sexual selection (Clegg, 2007). Natural selection refers to the process of genes which are responsible for physical and behavioural characteristics and are most suitable for survival, being inherited by the next