natural selection
A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
Natural selection is one of the main mechanisms of evolution that explains how populations of organisms change over time. It occurs when individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass those traits on to their offspring, resulting in the gradual accumulation of beneficial traits and the elimination of harmful ones.
The key steps of natural selection include:
1. Variation: Within a population, there is natural variation between individuals, which means that not all individuals are identical.
2. Selection: The environment selects for individuals with certain advantageous traits that allow them to survive and reproduce more successfully than others. For example, if a population of birds with different beak sizes and shapes lives on an island with different types of food, birds with beaks that are better adapted to the available food will be more successful and pass their genes on to the next generation.
3. Reproduction: Individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to their offspring.
4. Adaptation: Over time, the population will become better adapted to its environment, as beneficial traits become more common and harmful traits become less common.
Overall, natural selection is a key driver of evolution and has led to the diversity of life on Earth that we see today.
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