In the evolutionary sense, which organism has the highest fitness?
Correct answer: D. The organism that leaves the most viable offspring
- A. The fastest organism in its environment
- B. The strongest organism in its environment
- C. The organism that survives the longest
- D. The organism that leaves the most viable offspring
Explanation
In evolutionary terms, fitness is defined by an organism's ability to pass on its genes to the next generation, not by traits like speed, strength, or longevity alone. While being fast, strong, or long-lived can help an organism survive and reproduce, these traits only contribute to fitness if they lead to producing more viable offspring. Therefore, the organism with the highest evolutionary fitness is the one that leaves the most offspring that survive and are capable of reproducing themselves, ensuring the continuation of its genetic material in the population.
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About Evolution
Evolution describes heritable change in populations over generations through variation, natural selection and adaptation. Lamarckism explains inheritance of acquired characteristics, while Darwinism explains selection of favourable inherited variations; these historical explanations must not be confused with the modern genetic account of evolutionary change.
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