The Essentials - What is Survival and who are the Fittest?

I can't believe that Survivor has lasted 24 seasons.  But then again I can't believe Ben gave Courtney a rose last night. I mean how could he be so blind? Wait... strike the last two sentences from the record. In the show Survivor, contestants have to be strong or smart or sneaky or some combination of those traits. But that's just a dumb TV show.  What does it mean to be a survivor from an evolutionary perspective? What is a survivor and who are the fittest?

These terms have created some backlash, especially for Christians, as they stir up images of ravenous lions tearing the flesh off of an innocent, majestic, bounding antelope. I've heard several people say that they couldn't believe in evolution because God wouldn't work through such a violent and senseless mechanism. While I won't speak to the theological implications of the conclusion this unfortunate image produces, in the next few posts I will try to shed some light on the two evolutionary concepts of survival and fitness.