Vaillancourt 1

Kelsea Vaillancourt
HDF 308 TR 9:30AM
Short Paper #1
February 1st, 2016
Are Ethologists Developmental Theorists?
According to the text, Ethology is the study of animal and human behavior within an
evolutionary context (Crain 35). At first glance, the definition of Ethology does not make it seem
like it would fit into the category of developmental theories. However, if one delves deeper into
the subject, it becomes clear that Ethology has a strong relation with the Nature vs. Nurture
theory.
Charles Darwin, the most noted Evolutionary Theorist, published works that stated that
the species of the world had not been perfectly and deliberately formed, but had evolved from
common ancestors. This brought forward the idea of natural selection, or survival of the fittest.
This was a theory that stated that those species that are stronger and have a higher change of
survival will prevail in the years to come. Those who are weak, hunted easily, or have a very
small population have a greater chance of dying out and not keeping the species alive. This
relates to the Nature side of the Nature vs. Nurture debate. The weaker species die out while the
stronger species pass on those strong genes, meaning the next generations will continue to grow
stronger.

Vaillancourt 2

Nature plays a very large part in deciding which species will be around for a very long
time. An example from the book of natural selection occurring in nature is one about moths. In
the mid-nineteenth century in England, there were many white moths that easily blended in with
the snow on the trees, which in turn kept them safe from the hungry birds, who could not see
them. The fewer dark moths were at a much higher risk of being eaten and therefore had a much
higher risk of extinction. The population of dark moths eventually reached the point where they
only made up one percent of the population of moths in the area. Eventually, however, the snow
dissipated and smog began to fill the city. The dark moths were then at an advantage and were
ultimately then the ones who were safer from being eaten (Crain 37). Whatever species that was
the one to prevail was entirely decided by their environment, and had nothing to do with being
brought up a certain way, like many theories that come from the nurture side.
Ultimately, Ethologists are, in a way, developmental theorists. This study of animal and
human behavior states that the environment around us is the main predictor of whether or not we
will thrive as a species. There is nothing discussed within this theory that states that how we are
brought up and raised impacts the survival of our particular species. It relates closely to the
nature part of the Nature vs. Nurture debate and in some ways deals with the development of
the species involved.