1. ANTH 331: Culture and the Individual Kimberly Porter Martin, Ph.D.
Evolutionary Psychology Primer
ANTH 331: Culture and the Individual Kimberly Porter Martin, Ph.D.

2. Genetic Traits
Most genetic traits have variable forms – eg. Height, skin color, blood types, etc.
Some forms will be more successful than others in a given environment (physical, social and cultural environments)
Those individuals with the more successful traits will, on average, have more offspring than those with less successful traits.
One does not have to die to be less successful genetically.

3. Degree of Relatedness
Degree of relatedness – the proportion of genes shared with another individual.
Kinship diagrams to graphically represent relationships.
Degree of relationship is expressed by a fraction.

4. The main symbols used are shown at the right
Kinship Diagrams are the visual presentation of kinship relationships through symbols
The main symbols used are shown at the right
The reference point for a kinship diagram is always one individual called EGO
= male
= female
= siblings
= = marriage
= = parents &
offspring

5. Ego and parents share ½ of their genes
Ego and siblings share ½ of their genes
Ego and grandparents share ¼ of their genes
Ego and aunts/uncles share ¼ of their genes
Ego and cousins share 1/8 of their genes

6. Differential Reproduction
Differential reproduction – variability in the number of offspring produced.
The number of offspring is a measure of how many of an individual’s genes are passed on into future generations.
The more of an individual’s genes that are passed into future generations, the more the traits influenced by those genes will be present in future generations.

7. Kin Selection
Kin selection – investing in others to the degree that they share your genes.
The number of offspring is only one way that an individual’s genes can be passed to future generations.
Investing can mean any kind of help and support including material goods (money), social support or emotional/psychological support.

8. Parental Investment Theory (PIT)
Parental investment – biological, economic, social and emotional support for offspring.
Reproductive potential – the maximum number of offspring possible for an individual.
Reproductive success – production of offspring that survive and reproduce.

9. Logical of PIT
Human males only have to make a minimal parental investment to obtain reproductive success (a few sperm)
Female humans must make an enormous parental investment to obtain reproductive success (+/- 5 years)
Male humans have reproductive potential limited only by the number of partners
Females have limited reproductive potential because of the investment needed from mothers
Males and females will have significantly different mate selection strategies because of differential parental investment.

10. Some PIT Assumptions
Human mate choice is influenced by inherited characteristics
Inherited characteristics will reflect the most successful mating strategies over time
Human mate choice is influenced by both conscious and unconscious factors
Culture is the learned set of strategies that help individuals maximize their reproductive success.