inclusive fitness

noun

the number of offspring equivalents an individual rears, rescues or otherwise supports through its behavior (regardless of who begets them).

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Meanings

noun
  1. evolutionary theorythe number of offspring equivalents an individual rears, rescues or otherwise supports through its behavior (regardless of who begets them).

Origin

Coined by W. D. Hamilton in his 1964 paper "The Genetical Evolution of Social Behaviour".

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Cite this entry
APA

inclusive fitness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inclusive%20fitness

MLA

“inclusive fitness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inclusive%20fitness. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inclusive fitness,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inclusive%20fitness.

Source: inclusive fitness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.