Can an innate behavior evolve via natural selection?

Answer 1

Of course innate traits evolve via natural selection, in spite of what some in the humanities and Social Sciences think. Behaviors are more complex and can depend on completely random events and the immediate environment. An old Woody Allen anecdote serves as example. Humor is a trait that can develop into behavior that advances reproductive success. ( at least for men; many women say " he makes me laugh " ) Woody Allen was remarking on how his humor had advanced his success with women, in the environment of Manhattan. He remarked that among the Apaches, who have little use for humor ( so he said ), he would have dine very poorly with the ladies. So, whatever traits he had ( introversion, perhaps ? ) they led him to the behavior of humor which served him well in the context of his immediate environment.

Many things are more crude, such as neurotransmitters. The amount of receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine varies from human to human and is under the control of genes, which makes it heritable and subject to natural selection and thus evolves. A person with very few of these receptors can seek quite risky behaviors to increase the amount of free dopamine in the cerebral fluid so to receive enough dopamine to feel the heightening effects, This expression is very complex though, depending on context, expressivity and immediate environment.

Another Answer

While natural selection is the process of breeding to produce superior traits in an individual, the process of developing innate characteristics is a fundamental precept in discipline. The selection process does not play a part in this development. At the writer above points out, humor is a trait. However, what is "funny" varies from culture to culture and is not a function of the natural selection process. Rather it is a cultural addition which is highly individualistic within each tribe. It is not a survival characteristic within a species.

Such concepts as "loyalty", "honor", "trustworthiness", or "charming" have tribal connotations and are developed according to cultural norms, not natural selection. This is proven when a member transfers from one cultural milieu to another, using the individual desired behaviors to successfully integrate into that tribe. The cultural characteristic can be cultivated in order to smooth relations within a tribe. One such characteristic is "manners", which is the tribal way of interaction between members and varies according to the culture. It is not a survival trait, but a learned discipline. The rules of manners can be as varied as each individual.