Natural selection, Biology

Assignment Help:

Darwin put fort the notion of the survival of the fittest. How do we define 'fittest'? The answer usually given is those who survive. So you can readily see that this is a circular agrument and doesn't really help us understand what really happens following natural selection quite clearly. The idea of fitness as a matter of survival will not do. Therefore in the course of the development of what we have earlier referred to as the modern synthesis the notion of fitness was related to the ability of the individual to maximise the number of progeny left in the next generation. In other words the notion of fitness was translated into reproductive success. Given the idea of fitness as being measurable in terms of reproductive success we can now go back to basic tenets of Darwinism. The first of the five observations mentioned therein was the tendency on the part of living organisms to reproduce: In an exponential manner. We noted that the consequence of this is competition for available resources which results in "the survival of the fittest" Clearly, therefore. in3terms of reproductive ability nature is truly prodigal.


Related Discussions:- Natural selection

Representatives of the echinoderm phylum, Q. What are some representatives ...

Q. What are some representatives of the echinoderm phylum? Starfishes, sea urchins, sea cucumbers (holothurians) and brittle stars are examples of echinoderms.

Explain about the lignans, Explain about the Lignans? Lignans are diphe...

Explain about the Lignans? Lignans are diphenolic compounds formed by dilnerization of 2 cinnamic acid residues. Most lignans apparently pass through the GIT as fibre. Some lig

What is allantois, What is Allantois One of the extraembryonic eggs foun...

What is Allantois One of the extraembryonic eggs found in the amniote animals. The allantois contains the metabolic wastes created by the developing embryo. May also be involved

Explain adverse effects of foscarnet, Explain Adverse Effects of foscarnet ...

Explain Adverse Effects of foscarnet  Renal dysfunction often develops during treatment with foscarnet and is usually reversible, but renal failure requiring dialy sis may occu

What is a chromosomal translocation, Question 1 Write a short note on the ...

Question 1 Write a short note on the following- Plasmids Retrotransposons Hfr Conjugation Generalized transduction Question 2 With the help of a neat diagra

Basic principles of emergency psychiatry, BASIC PRINCIPLES OF EMERGENCY PSY...

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF EMERGENCY PSYCHIATRY:   Nurses handling psychiatric  emergencies should keep the following principles in mind:  The initial approach to a clienvpatien

What are allele frequencies, You observe the following numbers of individua...

You observe the following numbers of individuals of each genotype in a population. AA=700, Aa=200, aa=100. What are the observed genotype frequencies in this population? What are t

Describe the factors of biological evolution of humans, Although there are ...

Although there are differences in interpretation of the evidence, it is generally accepted that human biological evolution has not been a linear progression from one species to the

What is predatism, What is predatism? Predatism is the ecological inte...

What is predatism? Predatism is the ecological interaction in which one individual mutilates or kills another to get food. Predatism is an inharmonious (negative) ecological i

What are the haversian canals, What are the Haversian canals and the Volkma...

What are the Haversian canals and the Volkmann's canals of the bones? Is the osseous tissue vascularized? The Haversian canals are longitudinal canals show in the osseous tissu

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd