October 10, 2024

·      What question about the reading for today did I prepare before class?

o   Why is he seen as the first to talk about evolution even though he was not?

·      What key ideas did I hear in seminar today?

o   He even formulated an early theory of evolution

§  It was not taken seriously because it did not have the necessary supporting evidence

o   Darwin was very seasick on this trip, but when the seas calmed, he captured thousands of marine life that he studied and classified. He also
kept a detailed journal of his observations and thoughts

o   Darwin found many fossilized remains of several large extinct creatures embedded in the cliffs of Argentina. This was relevant to the
uniformitarianism and catastrophism debate when the question arose of “How did they get there?”

o   Darwin reasoned that countless individuals will be conceived in every generation but only a portion will survive in their environmental challenges and reproduce. Those who survive will be best adapted to overcoming the rigors in their environments and if their adaptive characteristics are inheritable, then their offspring will survive and reproduce better

o   Alfred Russel Wallace ended up putting out his theory of evolution first, which was similar to Darwin's. Darwin caught wind of this and set up a public presentation for them both, but it attracted little attention and now that Darwin's ideas were out there it caused a major debate on whether human beings are a separate and special creation of God or descended from animals.

·      What substantive ideas or comments did I contribute in seminar today?

o   We played the telephone game and contributed to the third discussion

·      What did I learn today that contributed to my understanding of psychology?

o   Darwin came up with the idea that not only did humans physical bodys evolve but their mental qualities as well

o   Darwin also touched base on sexual selection which is the gradual selection and evolution of characteristics that are specifically favorable for reproductive success

Within particular species, females and males come to prefer certain qualities in their mates and select
their partners based on that