The Study of Instinct

http://eebweb.arizona.edu/Faculty/Dornhaus/courses/materials/papers/other/Figueredo%20consilience%20and%20life%20history%20theory.pdf

Consilience and Life History Theory: From Genes to Brain to Reproductive Strategy.

Genetic influences on personality differences are ubiquitous, but their nature is not well understood. A theoretical framework might help, and can be provided by evolutionary genetics. We assess three evolutionary genetic mechanisms that could explain genetic variance in personality differences: selective neutrality, mutation-selection balance, and balancing selection. Based on evolutionary genetic theory and empirical results from behaviour genetics and personality psychology, we conclude that selective neutrality is largely irrelevant, that mutation-selection balance seems best at explaining genetic variance in intelligence, and that balancing selection by environmental heterogeneity seems best at explaining genetic variance in personality traits. We propose a general model of heritable personality differences that conceptualises intelligence as fitness components and personality traits as individual reaction norms of genotypes across environments, with different fitness consequences in different environmental niches. We also discuss the place of mental health in the model. This evolutionary genetic framework highlights the role of gene-environment interactions in the study of personality, yields new insight into the person-situation-debate and the structure of personality, and has practical implications for both quantitative and molecular genetic studies of personality. Copyright # 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/per.629

The evolutionary genetics of personality

Autistic-spectrum conditions and psychotic-spectrum conditions (mainly schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression) represent two major suites of disorders of human cognition, affect, and behavior that involve altered development and function of the social brain. We describe evidence that a large set of phenotypic traits exhibit diametrically opposite phenotypes in autistic-spectrum versus psychotic-spectrum conditions, with a focus on schizophrenia. This suite of traits is inter-correlated, in that autism involves a general pattern of constrained overgrowth, whereas schizophrenia involves undergrowth. These disorders also exhibit diametric patterns for traits related to social brain development, including aspects of gaze, agency, social cognition, local versus global processing, language, and behavior. Social cognition is thus underdeveloped in autistic-spectrum conditions and hyper-developed on the psychotic spectrum. We propose and evaluate a novel hypothesis that may help to explain these diametric phenotypes: that the development of these two sets of conditions is mediated in part by alterations of genomic imprinting. Evidence regarding the genetic, physiological, neurological, and psychological underpinnings of psychotic-spectrum conditions supports the hypothesis that the etiologies of these conditions involve biases towards increased relative effects from imprinted genes with maternal expression, which engender a general pattern of undergrowth. By contrast, autistic-spectrum conditions appear to involve increased relative bias towards effects of paternally expressed genes, which mediate overgrowth. This hypothesis provides a simple yet comprehensive theory, grounded in evolutionary biology and genetics, for understanding the causes and phenotypes of autistic-spectrum and psychotic-spectrum conditions.

/pdf/psychosis-and-autism-as-diametrical-disorders-of-the-social-2ho4va4son.pdf

Psychosis and autism as diametrical disorders of the social brain

Charles Darwin appreciated the conceptual difficulty in accepting that an organ as wonderful as the vertebrate eye could have evolved through natural selection. He reasoned that if appropriate gradations could be found that were useful to the animal and were inherited, then the apparent difficulty would be overcome. Here, we review a wide range of findings that capture glimpses of the gradations that appear to have occurred during eye evolution, and provide a scenario for the unseen steps that have led to the emergence of the vertebrate eye.

/pdf/evolution-of-the-vertebrate-eye-opsins-photoreceptors-retina-4p8wvg6ge2.pdf

Evolution of the vertebrate eye: opsins, photoreceptors, retina and eye cup

Fishes, the most abundant and diverse group among all vertebrates, exploit the largest number of communication channels. These two volumes explore how fishes use hearing and vision, as well as the vibrational, electric and chemical modalities in their interactions with one another.

Communication in Fishes

‘Communication’ in weakly electric fish, Gnathonemus petersii (Mormyridae) II. Interaction of electric organ discharge activities of two fish

Introducing a new hobby for other people may inspire them to join with you. Reading, as one of mutual hobby, is considered as the very easy hobby to do. But, many people are not interested in this hobby. Why? Boring is the reason of why. However, this feel actually can deal with the book and time of you reading. Yeah, one that we will refer to break the boredom in reading is choosing evolutionary perspectives on human reproductive behavior as the reading material.

Evolutionary perspectives on human reproductive behavior

The spectral sensitivity of the weakly electric mormyrid fish Gnathonemus petersi was investigated under dark- and light-adapted conditions using a transient change (startle) in its electric organ discharge (EOD) rate as response measure. The startle was resistant to habituation and graded with light intensity. Under both lighting conditions, the fish responded optimally to a monochromatic light of 525 nm. A porphyropsin pigment (520–5402) appears to mediate spectral sensitivity over most of the visible spectrum. However, G. petersi responded more strongly to 625- and 675-nm lights (dark- and light-adapted fish) and a 725-nm light (light-adapted fish only) than predicted by the presence of a single rod pigment. These data suggest that at least one additional visual pigment (most likely of cone cells) maximally absorbing long wavelength light (600 nm or longer) is present. The spectral sensitivity data are consistent with the sensitivity hypothesis in that heightened sensitivity to long wavelength light is predicted for fish living in blackwater habitats which are characterized typically by low light levels and transmission of predominantly long wavelengths. Histology of the retina showed photoreceptors grouped into bundles and ensheathed by pigment epithelial cells. Our results demonstrated a functional visual sense in a species of fish much better known and studied for its electrosensory and electromotor abilities.

Spectral sensitivity of the weakly discharging electric fish Gnathonemus petersi using its electric organ discharges as the response measure

Species recognition in mormyrid weakly electric fish

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