Question

According to natural selection, which of the following correctly describes an individual with higher fitness?

Answer 1

Answer: an individual who has higher reproductive success than others

Explanation: i dont know why but that was the right answer on the test

Answer 2

Answer: best adapted to the environment

Explanation: fitness can be thought of as fit for purpose. The most fit for purpose organism is the one best adapted to its environment.

Nevertheless, all the options are characteristic of adaptation

It is not particularly useful to discuss natural selection in terms of individuals and not populations. An advantageous mutation in one individual is the theoretical starting point for a better adapted population, but adaptation happens in a population very slowly if at all if it depends on a single individual. The smaller the population, the higher the probability that the adaptation will be eliminated by chance.