Natural selection is a key mechanism of evolution, which is the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. It is the process through which species adapt to their environments, and it is the engine that drives evolution. Organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success. Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, along with mutation, migration, and genetic drift.
Some key points about natural selection include:
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Differential survival and reproduction: Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. In other words, organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring.
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Heritability: For natural selection to work, at least some of the variation in a population must be heritable and passed on to organisms descendants.
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Adaptation: Natural selection results in the adaptation of an organism to its environment by means of selectively reproducing changes in its genotype. Over time, this process causes species to change and diverge.
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Complexity: Natural selection is a drawn-out, complex process involving multiple interconnected causes. It requires variation in a population of organisms, and for the process to work, at least some of that variation must be heritable and passed on to organisms' descendants in some way.
Natural selection is a cornerstone of modern biology and was first described by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in a joint presentation of papers in 1858. It is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology and helps to explain the diversity of life on Earth.
