reproductive fitness

Reproductive fitness refers to an organism’s ability to pass its genes to the next generation. It involves not just survival, but also successful reproduction—producing offspring that can themselves reproduce. An organism with high reproductive fitness is better adapted to its environment, increasing the chances that its genes will be represented in future populations. Factors influencing reproductive fitness include survival skills, fertility, mating success, and the health of offspring, all of which contribute to an individual’s contribution to the gene pool over time.