Biology / Unit 14 Bio 3615 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Proximate versus Ultimate Causation in Behavior
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The idea
A proximate cause explains the immediate physiological or environmental trigger of a behavior, while an ultimate cause explains the evolutionary reason selection favored it.
In practice
Shortening day length is the proximate trigger for bird migration; avoiding winter scarcity is its ultimate explanation.
Where people slip
Proximate and ultimate causes answer different questions about the same behavior — neither substitutes for or contradicts the other.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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