Natural Selection
The process where organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce more successfully.
Also: survival of the fittest
Definition
Natural selection is the mechanism of evolution proposed by Darwin in which individuals with heritable traits better suited to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully than others, passing those advantageous traits to future generations. Over many generations, this process shifts the frequency of traits in a population, potentially leading to new species. It is the primary driver of adaptation.
Example
“Peppered moths in industrial England shifted from predominantly light-colored to dark-colored during the Industrial Revolution, as soot-covered trees made light moths more visible to bird predators and dark moths better camouflaged.”
Synonyms
- survival of the fittest
- selective pressure
- adaptive selection
Antonyms / Opposites
- random genetic drift
- neutral evolution
Images
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Related Terms
- Evolution
- Adaptation
- Genetic Variation
- Fitness