Asked by Melissa Plata on May 29, 2024
Verified
Which of the following would be a useful proxy for fitness?
A) probability of survival to reproductive age
B) number of offspring produced by an individual during a specific season
C) probability of survival of offspring
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c
Fitness
In evolutionary terms, fitness refers to the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce, thus passing its genes to the next generation.
Reproductive Age
The period in an organism's life during which it is biologically capable of producing offspring.
Offspring
The biological children or young produced by a pair or a group of parents.
- Understand the concept of fitness in the context of evolutionary biology and its proxies.
Verified Answer
JG
Jackara GreeneJun 02, 2024
Final Answer :
E
Explanation :
All the options listed are useful proxies for fitness. Fitness in biological terms refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. Therefore, the probability of survival to reproductive age (A), the number of offspring produced (B), and the probability of survival of those offspring (C) are all direct measures or indicators of an organism's fitness.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the concept of fitness in the context of evolutionary biology and its proxies.