Charles darwin psychological perspective

Evolutionary Psychology

• Natural selection and the theory of evolution
• Survival of the fittest: the case of finches on the Galapagos Islands
• The pace of evolutionary change
• Evolution of the human mind
• Why do humans have such large brains?

Natural selection and the theory of evolution

Evolutionary psychology is inspired by the work of Charles Darwin and applies his ideas of natural selection to the mind.

Darwin's theory argues that all living species, including humans, arrived at their current biological form through a historical process involving random inheritable changes.

Some changes are adaptive, that is, they increase an individual's chances of surviving and reproducing. Changes of this kind are more likely to be passed on to the next generation (natural selection), while changes that hinder survival are lost.

Survival of the fittest: the case of finches on the Galapagos Islands

Natural selection is driven by changes in the environment.

On the Galapagos Islands, the