Emotions and evolution

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

So do 'lesser' animals have some form of emtions?

Dogs sure do.
Ever had or known someone who had two dogs, one of them (the dogs) passes away, then the one that lived pines itself to death over the loss of the one that passed?

[matthew.william]

Originally Posted by Autodidact

Let's take a simple one: fear. It's an emotion. It prevents you from stepping in front of a moving car (or charging elephant) thereby enabling you to grow up and have babies who also feel fear. See how it works?

What would be the evolutionary benefits for grief after somebody you know gets hit by said car?

~matthew.william~

[Bouncing Ball]

Originally Posted by matthew.william

What would be the evolutionary benefits for grief after somebody you know gets hit by said car?

~matthew.william~

Grief is an extended form of dissappiontment. if you are dissapointed you'll make sure it won't happen again.

So if one of your clann gets hit by a tree you'll get grief wich gives you a nasty feeling. This is because the last time a clanmember got hit by a tree, he couldn't hunt for 4 weeks.

[Autodidact]

Originally Posted by matthew.william

What would be the evolutionary benefits for grief after somebody you know gets hit by said car?

~matthew.william~

Couple of thoughts:
1. It might help you make sure to help your living relatives avoid the same fate, which will result in more of your genes being passed on.
2. There are evolutionary benefits to all kinds of bonding, and grief would be an inevitable corollary of bonding.

[Hexaqua_David(II)]

Here's something cool about emotion!

Oxytocin is a hormone released during moments of affection. These moments can either be mother/child, friend/friend, lover/lover and in many different forms. The hormone seems to excite the part of the brain associated with face recognition, attaching pleasurable feelings to somebody's face. Ever noticed your heart skip a beat when you see your lover, or a warm feeling when you see your mother after a long time apart? In species where the mother is very attached to her baby, Oxytocin levels are high. Visa versa for those species for which motherhood is more detached. Also, in species in which mating is for life (humans, gibbons etc), oxytocin levels are high. In promiscuous species oxytocin levels are low. I imagine it would evolve as any other hormone would.

Interesting huh?

Oxytocin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Have a look at the "Actions of oxytocin within the brain" section.

- David

[kaat]

Interesting subject. I think the occurrence of emotions as evolutionary advantage is clear; even the most rudimentary animals experience fear as the necessary response for fighting or fleeing for survival in a world of competition and predators.

As for the extended emotions we feel as humans, my guess is (a) most emotions do still, in fact, force us to consider important decisions in our lives - good for survival, and/or (b) as well as evolving, emotions are also nurtured.

[SaveMeJebus]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

I'm not really trying to debate anything, I'm just curious. How to proponants of evoltion explain emotions. Do emotions naturally evolve in all creatures? So do 'lesser' animals have some form of emtions? To plants have some form of emotions? What evironmental condition would cause emotions to be an evolutionary advantage and thus cause them to be developed?

I'm just curious.

well animals must have fear otherwise they would not run, they must have some form of affection too because they would abandon their young, as some do, just like humans.

[SaveMeJebus]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

I'm not really trying to debate anything, I'm just curious. How to proponants of evoltion explain emotions. Do emotions naturally evolve in all creatures? So do 'lesser' animals have some form of emtions? To plants have some form of emotions? What evironmental condition would cause emotions to be an evolutionary advantage and thus cause them to be developed?

I'm just curious.

they also have anger fighting over territorie, have you never heard of nature programs.

[SaveMeJebus]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

Be lesser I mean any animal other than humans. Let's also throw insects in there too.

they are not lesser than us they are equal we are just smarter why do some christians think humans are above everything else. we are worse then them we are like parasites we will destroty this planet and then eventually move on to the next one and so on.