Relative fitness

Definition

Relative fitness measures the reproductive success of an individual or genotype compared to others in the population. It is often expressed as a ratio or percentage, indicating how well an organism passes on its genes relative to others.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Relative fitness is central to understanding natural selection and adaptive evolution.
2. It can be influenced by various factors including genetic variation, environmental conditions, and mutations.
3. A genotype with higher relative fitness will contribute more offspring to the next generation than one with lower relative fitness.
4. Relative fitness can change over time as environmental conditions and population dynamics change.
5. It is different from absolute fitness, which measures reproductive success without comparison to others.

Review Questions

• How does relative fitness influence natural selection within a population?
• What factors can affect an individual's relative fitness?
• Why is it important to differentiate between relative fitness and absolute fitness?

Related terms

Natural Selection: The process through which traits that improve survival and reproduction become more common in successive generations of a population.

Adaptive Evolution: Changes in the gene pool of a population due to selective pressures that increase the frequency of advantageous traits.

Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism, determining specific characteristics or traits.