It may be easier to think of evolution as the force, and game theory strongly influencing the fitness test. Those who play the games of mating and predator/prey more optimally reproduce more. We descend from billions of generations of the winners.

> and game theory strongly influencing the fitness test

Does it? I don't think reproduction is very influenced by game theory.

We don't descend from winners, we descend from whoever survived and it's not an individual competition.

If the only place a particularly beneficial mutation appears is wiped out by chance volcanic eruption, that's just how it is - the survivors who weren't near the volcano go on to reproduce.

In evolution the winners are the ones who survive to reproduce, and that includes 100% of our ancestors.

The cultural ramifications of choosing one word over another are significant though. "Winner" is a loaded term.

> In evolution the survivors reproduced, and that includes 100% of our ancestors.