The Evolutionary Unit of Measurement

The starting point of Darwin's theory of evolution is precisely the existence of those differences between individual members of a race or species which morphologists for the most part rightly neglect. The first condition necessary, in order that any process of Natural Selection may begin among a race, or species, is the existence of differences among its members; and the first step in an enquiry into the possible effect of a selective process upon any character of a race must be an estimate of the frequency with which individuals, exhibiting any given degree of abnormality with respect to that, character, occur. The unit, with which such an enquiry must deal, is not an individual but a race, or a statistically representative sample of a race; and the result must take the form of a numerical statement, showing the relative frequency with which the various kinds of individuals composing the race occur.


Is the species, not individuals within the species.

Folksonomies: species measurement average

/science/biology/breeding (0.365912)
/science/biology/zoology/endangered species (0.359939)
/health and fitness/disease (0.186472)

statistically representative sample (0.970145 (neutral:0.000000)), Evolutionary Unit (0.807832 (neutral:0.000000)), relative frequency (0.783500 (neutral:0.000000)), possible effect (0.760673 (positive:0.321329)), Natural Selection (0.758864 (positive:0.291939)), numerical statement (0.752754 (neutral:0.000000)), various kinds (0.747734 (neutral:0.000000)), selective process (0.747530 (positive:0.321329)), individual members (0.723983 (positive:0.380814)), race (0.676332 (positive:0.331361)), species (0.597659 (positive:0.148733)), enquiry (0.528378 (positive:0.321329)), existence (0.525595 (positive:0.380814)), individuals (0.523747 (positive:0.089249)), differences (0.517117 (positive:0.380814)), character (0.446654 (positive:0.321329)), abnormality (0.438745 (positive:0.302101)), estimate (0.413290 (positive:0.321329)), Darwin (0.408692 (positive:0.380814)), respect (0.401800 (positive:0.302101)), Measurement (0.397657 (neutral:0.000000)), result (0.397436 (neutral:0.000000)), point (0.389758 (positive:0.380814)), theory (0.389543 (positive:0.380814)), morphologists (0.388524 (positive:0.380814)), condition (0.385731 (neutral:0.000000)), step (0.384058 (positive:0.321329))

theory of evolution:FieldTerminology (0.795998 (positive:0.380814)), Natural Selection:PrintMedia (0.776805 (positive:0.291939)), Darwin:OperatingSystem (0.766926 (positive:0.380814)), representative:JobTitle (0.698347 (neutral:0.000000))

Natural selection (0.955770): dbpedia | freebase
Evolution (0.879897): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Charles Darwin (0.872912): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc | yago
On the Origin of Species (0.652699): dbpedia | freebase | yago
Biology (0.554645): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Modern evolutionary synthesis (0.529240): dbpedia | freebase | yago
Speciation (0.514977): dbpedia | freebase
Evolutionary biology (0.490300): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc

Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book:  Laboratory , University College, London. Biometric and Pearson, Karl (1921), Biometrika, Retrieved on 2012-06-20
  • Source Material []
  • Folksonomies: mathematics