If you say that a ground squirrel has greater evolutionary fitness than another ground squirrel in the same population, you mean that the animal
A) has a longer life.
B) is able to mate more frequently.
C) is able to dominate other squirrels to gain access to food.
D) has more offspring that survive and reproduce themselves.
E) All of the above statements are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Evolutionary fitness refers to an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in a given environment. Therefore, the ground squirrel with greater evolutionary fitness would have more offspring that survive and reproduce themselves. This is because having more offspring that pass on their genes to the next generation is the ultimate goal of evolutionary fitness, as it ensures the survival and propagation of an individual's genetic lineage. While factors such as a longer life, increased mating frequency, and access to food may contribute to reproductive success, they are not as important as the number of offspring that an individual produces. Hence, option D is the best choice.

If You Say That a Ground Squirrel Has Greater Evolutionary