Journal ArticleDOI
The Propensity Interpretation of Fitness
Susan K. Mills,John Beatty +1 more
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TLDR
A propensity interpretation of fitness is provided, which is argued captures the intended reference of this term as it is used by evolutionary theorists, and a definition of natural selection is provided which handles all the types of selection discussed by biologists, thus improving on extant definitions.Abstract:
The concept of "fitness" is a notion of central importance to evolutionary theory. Yet the interpretation of this concept and its role in explanations of evolutionary phenomena have remained obscure. We provide a propensity interpretation of fitness, which we argue captures the intended reference of this term as it is used by evolutionary theorists. Using the propensity interpretation of fitness, we provide a Hempelian reconstruction of explanations of evolutionary phenomena, and we show why charges of circularity which have been levelled against explanations in evolutionary theory are mistaken. Finally, we provide a definition of natural selection which follows from the propensity interpretation of fitness, and which handles all the types of selection discussed by biologists, thus improving on extant definitions.read more
Citations
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Book ChapterDOI
Evolutionary Implications of Phenotypic Plasticity in Plants
TL;DR: This chapter considers the nature, role, and evolutionary implications of phenotypic plasticity as an adaptive property in plants.
Journal ArticleDOI
Fitness and its role in evolutionary genetics
TL;DR: This Review explains how evolutionary geneticists use fitness to predict changes in the genetic composition of populations through time and distinguishes among these meanings (for example, individual fitness, absolute fitness and relative fitness).
Book
Foundations of biophilosophy
Martin Mahner,Mario Bunge +1 more
TL;DR: Fundamental issues in Biophilosophy and Psychobiology are examined, as well as fundamental issues in Ecology, Developmental Biology, and Evolutionary Theory.
Journal ArticleDOI
A Modern History Theory of Functions
TL;DR: The modem history approach to biological functions was proposed by as mentioned in this paper, who argued that a function has some link to an explanation of why the functionally characterized thing exists, in the form it does.
Journal ArticleDOI
Estimation of individual fitness from life-history data
James B. McGraw,Hal Caswell +1 more
TL;DR: This article develops an integrated measure of fitness based on the philosophical underpinnings provided by the notion of propensity fitness, combined with classical demographic methods, and shows how life-history data can be formatted as an age-structured population projection matrix, A(m).
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
The Genetical Evolution of Social Behaviour. I
TL;DR: A genetical mathematical model is described which allows for interactions between relatives on one another's fitness and a quantity is found which incorporates the maximizing property of Darwinian fitness, named “inclusive fitness”.
Journal ArticleDOI
An Introduction to Population Genetics Theory
James F. Crow,Motoo Kimura +1 more
TL;DR: An introduction to population genetics theory, An introduction to Population Genetics Theory, Population Genetics theory, Population genetics theory as discussed by the authors, Population genetics, population genetics, and population genetics theories, Population Genetic Theory
Book
An introduction to population genetics theory
James F. Crow,Motoo Kimura +1 more
TL;DR: An introduction to population genetics theory, An introduction to Population Genetics theory, and more.
Book
Genetics of the Evolutionary Process
TL;DR: The Unity and Diversity of Life as discussed by the authors is a belief in the diversity of life and diversity of species in the world, and it has been shown that diversity can be achieved by balancing selection and genetic load.