[extropy-chat] differential fitness

[Damien Broderick]

> > Is there any evidence that smarter, richer, better-looking etc. 
> people today
> > are more likely to pass on their genes than most of the rest of the
> > population?
>
>### I am not sure about the meaning of your question. I noted that
>there is differential fitness among humans, therefore selection for
>traits correlated to fitness is still taking place. Do you think that
>this is incorrect?
>
>Rafal

Fitness is such a mess of conceptual worms. I suggest a look at 
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/fitness/

Individual phenotypic "fitness"--success at surviving and thriving in 
one's lifelong environment, especially a culturally modified one--is 
not *obviously* linked directly to number of fertile offspring a 
generation or two down the line. (Leaving aside individuals too 
dysfunctional by genotype or accident to reach maturity.) It might 
have been a million years ago, but how could we know that?

Damien Broderick