Premium
The Definition and Measurement of Individual Condition in Evolutionary Studies
Author(s) -
Clancey Erin,
Byers John A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
ethology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0179-1613
DOI - 10.1111/eth.12272
Subject(s) - meaning (existential) , foraging , inclusive fitness , term (time) , reproductive success , confusion , value (mathematics) , quality (philosophy) , affect (linguistics) , social psychology , psychology , reproduction , reproductive value , state (computer science) , cognitive psychology , ecology , epistemology , biology , computer science , sociology , population , mathematics , statistics , communication , offspring , demography , philosophy , algorithm , psychoanalysis , psychotherapist , genetics , quantum mechanics , pregnancy , physics
Over the past four decades, as the use of the term condition has become more frequent, the meaning of the term has become increasingly vague. This is especially true in evolutionary theory where condition is now equated with reproductive value, genetic quality, or defined as the ‘total pool of resources available for reproduction.’ Condition with the latter meaning is essentially impossible to measure empirically because it is associated with multiple attributes, such as nutritional state, health, experience, foraging success, ability to cope with environmental pressures, and social status, that collectively affect individual fitness. The addition of qualifying terms that often precede condition (e.g., phenotypic, energetic, and nutritional) and the usage of terms that describe an individual's state (e.g., physiological state, energetic state, and nutritional state) add confusion to the issue. It is therefore important to evaluate the meaning of condition, the limits of its usefulness, and how it can be best measured. We suggest using a more narrow definition of condition, amenable to empirical study, would benefit evolutionary and behavioral studies.