Question

What is reproductive fitness? Explain it with the help of an example.

Answer 1

1. Reproductive fitness, also known as Darwinian fitness, is a measure of an individual’s genetic contribution to the next generation’s gene pool compared to the average of the population.
2. It reflects the individual’s reproductive success, usually measured by the number of offspring or close kin surviving to reproductive age.
3. Populations evolve to maximize reproductive fitness in their habitat by adopting efficient reproductive strategies.
4. For example, some organisms like Pacific salmon, breed only once in their lifetime, while others, like most birds and mammals, breed several times.
5. Similarly, some produce many small offspring (e.g., oysters), whereas others produce fewer but larger offspring (e.g., mammals).