Fitness Landscape

A fitness landscape is a way to visualize how different traits or characteristics of a species affect its ability to survive and reproduce. Imagine a hilly terrain where each point represents a specific combination of traits, and the height indicates how "fit" that combination is—higher points mean better survival chances. Organisms "move" across this landscape through genetic changes, climbing peaks of higher fitness or sometimes falling into valleys. This concept helps researchers understand evolution by illustrating how populations can adapt over time by exploring various trait combinations toward optimal solutions.