Which of the following big sagebrush plants is the MOST fit, based only on the information presented?
A)The individual that can survive with 10% less water than the others in its population.
B)The individual that produces 5% more distasteful chemicals, making it 2% less likely to be attacked by herbivores than others in its population.
C)The individual that produces 3% more offspring each year than others in its population.
D)The individual that is the most resistant to disease organisms in the population.
E)All of these individuals are equally fit based on the information presented.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fitness is defined as the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in its environment. Therefore, the individual that produces 3% more offspring each year than others in its population is the most fit because it has a greater reproductive success and is passing on its advantageous traits to the next generation. The other traits may provide some advantage, but only the number of offspring produced directly affects an individual's reproductive success.

Which of the Following Big Sagebrush Plants Is the MOST