Sunday, February 28, 2016

Is biological fitness the same as physical fitness?

Biological Fitness: 
  • Definition: The extent to which an individual contributes genes to future generations, or an individual’s score on a measure of performance expected to correlate with genetic contribution to future generations (such as lifetime reproductive success)
    • Example: Two mice within a species have different fur color, the dark mouse blends in better with surrounding, thus avoiding being eaten. As a result, the darker mouse survives longer and produces more offspring, making it more fit
      • http://goose.ycp.edu/~kkleiner/ecology/lectureimages/EvolEcolgy/Rockpocketmice.jpg
Physical Fitness: 
  • The condition of being physically fit and healthy
    • "Definition of Fitness in English:." Fitness: Definition of Fitness in Oxford Dictionary (American English) (US). Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
    • Example: One male has more arm muscle and is stronger
      • https://beyondinsurance.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/strong-vs-weak-cultures.jpg

There is a significance difference between the two definitions of fitness, and understanding how they differ is crucial to one's understanding of natural selection. Biological fitness is what is referred to in natural selection so let's keep that in mind as we move forward in our quest for knowledge.

Natural Selection:
  • Definition: Variation in the genotype that increase an organism's chance of survival and procreation are preserved and multiple from generation to generation at the expensive of less advantageous ones
    • The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Natural Selection | Biology." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
    • In common terms: Heritable differences in an organism (appearance, behavior etc) that increase its ability to reproduce become more common in each subsequent generation

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