FITNESS FUNCTION CHARLES DARWIN ABSTRACT EVOLUTIONARY THEORY SOMATIC CHANGE SELECTION PROCESS SEXUAL SELECTION NATURAL SELECTION

1. Natural selection by Charles Darwin

2. Natural selection is the major term of the more complex and abstract evolutionary
theory, the foundations of which have been laid out by Charles Darwin in his seminal
“On the Origin of Species”. Often misunderstood and/or misquoted by many as “survival
of the strongest”, the key concept of natural selection is actually “survival of the fittest”.
There is considerable difference between the first and the second, the latter being a
proper formulation. According to this theory, and the philosophical foundation underlying
it, to disregard teleological approach (from Greek teleos – root cause, and logic), natural
selection can not be performed or be happening for a certain specific fitness criteria –
i.e. “strength”. Moreover, anthropomorphism can not be applied to natural selection,
meaning properties and values of certain human culture, or common human morals and
cultural values can not be applied or projected onto natural selection. In simpler terms –
while we consider good deeds or noble acts being “better”, or admire physical strength,
big muscles, etc., it does not necessarily mean these qualities represent or are
possessed by the most fit individual.
What does “fit” mean, then? This criterion is defined rather vaguely by the Darwin's
natural selection part of evolutionary theory, as an overall function that measures the
individual's abilities to adapt and survive within a specific environment, or a wider range

3. of environments. The theories of biological evolution go on and formulate that specific
constant change should be happening to the biological environment, which is what is
meant by “evolution” as a term – the direction of development in which any abstract
dynamic system progresses with time. So, apparently, evolution is an abstract concept
that is used in many other scientific disciplines apart from biology, for example, dynamic
systems evolution in physics, or evolutionary algorithms in computer science. The
previously mentioned factors of evolutionary change are: change of genotype, by
mutation or redistribution of genes; somatic change under the pressure of environment
and changes in environmental conditions (Bateson, 1972). It is interesting to note that…
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