John Edser wrote:
>>F = d(mv)/dt, defines force and mass in a circular way. For example,
>>what is inertial mass. wee, its a measure of how must it resist smotion
>>when a force is applied. Well, what is a force, its something that
>>accelerates a mass...
>>This is a basic issue absolutely inherent in any science. The
>>fundamental defining equations are pretty much always circular.
> 
> 
> BOH:-
> But as we do not need to define fitness using these equations, the 
> problem can be sidestepped.
> 
> JE:-
> Out of the pan but into the fire...
> 
> BOH:-
> Fisher's insight here was to define fitness in terms of the probability 
> of living to age x, the rate of production of offspring at age x, and a 
> penalisation term for the time taken to reach age x (!).  this all gets 
> put into the Euler-Lotka equation, which can be solved to give the 
> Malthusian parameter, i.e. the rate of increase.
> 
> JE:-
> Such a "Malthusian parameter" is just an oversimplification
> of a simple Darwinian fitness. All you have to do
> to calculate an exact absolute fitness is count the TOTAL 
> number of FERTILE forms reproduced by each PARENT within
> one POPULATION. Everything that Neo Darwinism says and does
> is just an over simplification of this _simple_ fitness count 
> which represents the absolute fitness of each competing 
> Darwinian selectee. 

No, you're the one over-simplifying.

As an example: Think of two individuals.  One will live for 1 year, and 
then produce 10 offspring and die.  The other will live 100 years, and 
then produce 10 offspring and die.  Under your definition, both are 
equally fit.  However, everything else being equal, a population will 
soon be dominated by descendents of the individual that reproduces after 
1 year.  I would maintain that any decent definition of fitness would 
take this into account (i.e. that it would allow one to predict which 
strategy would pre-dominate).

Bob

-- 
Bob O'Hara

Rolf Nevanlinna Institute
P.O. Box 4 (Yliopistonkatu 5)
FIN-00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
Telephone: +358-9-191 23743
Mobile: +358 50 599 0540
Fax:  +358-9-191 22 779
WWW:  http://www.RNI.Helsinki.FI/~boh/
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