What is natural selection?

Natural selection is a key mechanism of evolution and can be succinctly summarized as "the survival of the fittest." This concept reflects how individuals with traits that enhance their survival and reproduction are more likely to pass those advantageous traits to the next generation. Over time, this leads to a population adapting to its environment, as beneficial traits become more common.

The phrase "survival of the fittest" emphasizes that fitness, in an evolutionary context, refers to an organism's ability to survive, reproduce, and contribute to the gene pool of the next generation. It's important to understand that fitness is not merely about strength; it encompasses a wide range of characteristics, including behavior, physiology, and morphology that make an organism better suited to its environment.

While adaptation of species to their environments is a related concept, as it results from natural selection, the term "natural selection" specifically describes the process by which certain traits become more common within a population due to their advantageous nature in survival and reproduction. This differentiates it from terms related to random genetic changes or alterations in DNA, which are mechanisms of genetic variation but do not directly define natural selection.