Differential Reproductive Success

Kraft, Veronica; Jacobs, W Jake

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_1392

Veronica Kraft³ &
W Jake Jacobs^3,4

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Definition

A measure of the number of offspring (or replications) a particular individual, group, or gene left behind relative to others.

Introduction

Differential reproductive success consists of a statistical analysis of the outcome of a class of mechanisms that, according to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural and Sexual Selection, produces changes in the distribution of variants within populations. According to the essence of Darwin’s theory, differential selection acts on variations in fitness, which produces differential reproductive success over time. To clarify our concept of differential reproductive success, we must first define both differential selection and variations in fitness.

Differential Selection and Variance of Fitness Are Devices to Achieve Greater Differential Reproductive Success

Differential selectionrefers to a class of selective pressures that disfavor (or favor) some members of a population over others. The mechanics of differential selection may differ...

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References

Barash, D. P., & Wilson, E. O. (1982). Sociobiology and behavior (2nd ed.). New York: Elsevier.
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Buss, D. M. (2012). Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
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Authors and Affiliations

Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
Veronica Kraft & W Jake Jacobs
Department of Psychology, Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA, USA
W Jake Jacobs

Authors

Veronica Kraft
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W Jake Jacobs
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Veronica Kraft .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
Todd K Shackelford
Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
Viviana A Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

Penn State Worthington Scranton, Scranton, USA
Douglas Sellers

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Kraft, V., Jacobs, W.J. (2021). Differential Reproductive Success. In: Shackelford, T.K., Weekes-Shackelford, V.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_1392

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_1392
Published: 22 April 2021
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19649-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19650-3
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