Natural selection
Process by which organisms adapt and change over time, becoming better suited for survival in their environment. In the article accompanying the podcast, it is stated that the structure of cities did not evolve in this adaptive manner; this means that cities have not changed over time to effectively meet the needs of their inhabitants.
Natural selection is a process that occurs in nature where organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their favorable traits to their offspring. This process is driven by competition for resources such as food, water, and mates. Through natural selection, the traits that increase an organism’s chances of survival and reproduction become more common in a population over time, while those that decrease an organism’s chances become less common.
For example, if a population of birds lives in an area where the available food consists of small seeds, birds with larger, stronger beaks that are better adapted to crack open the seeds will have an advantage over birds with smaller, weaker beaks. Over time, the larger-beaked birds will produce more offspring, increasing the frequency of the larger beak trait in the population.
Natural selection is one of the key mechanisms of evolution, and plays a crucial role in shaping the diversity of life on Earth. It is important to note that natural selection is not a deliberate process and does not imply that organisms strive to adapt, but rather it is a consequence of random variations and environmental pressures acting on populations over time.
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