Natural Selection

What is Natural Selection

Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism of evolution, proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, that explains how populations of living organisms adapt and evolve over time. It is a process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population based on their impact on the individual’s survival and reproductive success in a given environment.

Components of Natural Selection

Variation & Heritability

Within a population, individuals exhibit variations in traits. These variations can be inherited from one generation to the next. Traits that contribute to an individual’s success in surviving and reproducing are often heritable, meaning they can be passed on to offspring through genetic inheritance.

Overproduction of Offspring

Populations tend to produce more offspring than the environment can support. This leads to competition for resources and survival.

Struggle for Existence

Due to limited resources, individuals within a population compete for survival. There is a constant struggle for existence, and not all individuals will survive to reproduce.

Differential Survival and Reproduction

Individuals with advantageous traits have a better chance of surviving and reproducing in their specific environment.
The differential success in survival and reproduction results in the passing on of advantageous traits to a higher proportion of the next generation.

Adaptation

Over successive generations, the frequency of advantageous traits increases in the population. This process leads to the adaptation of the population to its environment, as traits that enhance survival and reproduction become more prevalent.