What is the concept of natural selection?

The concept of natural selection revolves around the idea that certain traits or characteristics that provide an advantage in survival and reproduction in a given environment become more common in a population over time. This process occurs because individuals with these advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, thereby passing those traits on to their offspring.

Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism of evolution, as it explains how species adapt to their environments over generations. This means that as environmental conditions change, organisms that can better adapt to those conditions will be more successful in reproducing, leading to a gradual change in the traits of the population.

Understanding natural selection helps clarify how diversity in the biological world arises, as well as the importance of variation within species and the role of environmental pressures in shaping species over time.