Learned versus Inherited
Behavior
What are inherited traits?

Physical traits that are a result of our
genes.
What are acquired traits?

Traits that are a result of our upbringing.

Language and food preferences
Both acquired and inherited traits
Intelligence
 Personality
 Risk for diseases

Inherited Traits
Inherit physical traits from out parents
through genes.
 Physical appearance: phenotype
 Phenotype is dependent on our genotype
 Genotype is our gene make-up or our
chemical blueprint found in our DNA.
 Inherited characteristics can be:




Color of an animals fur
Length of an animals claws
In humans, rolling your tongue is and inherited
trait
Inherited Traits

An organism cannot control or change the
inherited traits it has from birth.
Examples of Inherited Traits
Whales have the ability to swim at birth
 Lizards move into the sun to get warm
 Migrating birds
 Hibernating
 Female dogs know how to take care of
their young
 Survival skills

Environmental Factors (Acquired)
These factors play an important role in
how we act.
 Acquired traits are a result of our
environment.
 Language is an acquired trait

Some traits are acquired/inherited
Weight
 Skin color
 Intelligence
 disease

Reason scientist can say traits are a result
of both genes and environment
Scientist have studied identical twins to
determine the affects of environment and
genes
 Identical twins have the same DNA
 If DNA was the only factor that
determined who we are, then identical
twins would be identical in every way.
 Environmental factors like diet, exercise,
time spent outdoors, and schooling also
affect who an individual becomes.
