Final answer:
The statement that evolutionary 'fitness' refers to an organism's ability to contribute to the next generation's gene pool is TRUE. It relates to an organism's relative ability to survive and reproduce, not just its physical prowess. Evolutionary fitness impacts population genetics by influencing which traits become more common over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
In an evolutionary sense, 'fitness' indeed refers to an organism's contribution to the next generation's gene pool. This is a TRUE statement. Fitness, as defined in evolutionary terms, has to do with survival and the reproduction of genetic material - not simply an organism's strength or speed.
When explaining fitness in the context of evolution by natural selection, we focus on the relative ability of an organism to survive and produce fertile offspring. This is why 'the fittest' may not necessarily be the strongest, largest, or fastest. Instead, evolutionary fitness is about how well an organism's traits allow it to survive in its environment and reproduce.
It's important to note that natural selection acts at the individual level by selecting individuals that contribute more significantly to the gene pool of the next generation, which is what scientists refer to as an organism's evolutionary (Darwinian) fitness. This relative fitness is measurable and allows researchers to understand population dynamics and predict the directions of evolutionary change.