A character’s functioning differs from its gene-frequency changes

Evidence

The Darwinian formulation emphasizes that the precise way in which a character enables an individual to survive or breed better is part of the process. The way in which the character works is not the same as the long-term changes in the frequencies of genes that are required for the expression of the character. — Diego Gambetta, Trust - Making and Breaking Cooperative…, 273

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinguishes the proximate mechanism (how a character works) from the ultimate evolutionary outcome (gene frequency change) — a level distinction useful for causal analysis.