What is natural selection, and how does it contribute to evolution?

What is natural selection, and how does it contribute to evolution?

• A. It is the process of random mutations
• B. It favors organisms better adapted to their environment
• C. It results in genetic drift
• D. It ensures all species remain unchanged

Answer: (B)

Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism of evolution that refers to the process through which individuals in a population that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive longer and reproduce more than those that are less well adapted. This concept, first articulated by Charles Darwin, suggests that advantageous traits become more common in subsequent generations because they contribute to an organism's ability to thrive in its environment. The process of natural selection operates on the variation present within a population. Some of these variations provide certain individuals with better tools for survival, such as improved camouflage, better foraging efficiency, or resistance to diseases. As a result, these individuals are more likely to reproduce, passing those beneficial traits to their offspring. Over time, this leads to a gradual shift in the population, where favorable traits become more prevalent, thus contributing to the evolution of the species. In contrast, the other options do not accurately describe natural selection. For example, while random mutations do contribute to genetic variation within a population, they do not specifically define natural selection. Similarly, genetic drift is a different evolutionary mechanism that involves random changes in allele frequencies from one generation to the next, particularly in small populations, rather than adaptive changes in response to environmental pressures. Lastly, the notion that natural selection ensures all species remain

Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism of evolution that refers to the process through which individuals in a population that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive longer and reproduce more than those that are less well adapted. This concept, first articulated by Charles Darwin, suggests that advantageous traits become more common in subsequent generations because they contribute to an organism's ability to thrive in its environment.

The process of natural selection operates on the variation present within a population. Some of these variations provide certain individuals with better tools for survival, such as improved camouflage, better foraging efficiency, or resistance to diseases. As a result, these individuals are more likely to reproduce, passing those beneficial traits to their offspring. Over time, this leads to a gradual shift in the population, where favorable traits become more prevalent, thus contributing to the evolution of the species.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately describe natural selection. For example, while random mutations do contribute to genetic variation within a population, they do not specifically define natural selection. Similarly, genetic drift is a different evolutionary mechanism that involves random changes in allele frequencies from one generation to the next, particularly in small populations, rather than adaptive changes in response to environmental pressures. Lastly, the notion that natural selection ensures all species remain