Selective Pressures

Definition

Selective pressures are environmental factors that influence which organisms survive and reproduce. They can include things like availability of food, presence of predators, or changes in climate.

Related terms

Predation:

The preying of one animal on others, which can act as a selective pressure.

Competition:

The struggle between organisms for limited resources, another form of selective pressure.

Adaptation:

A change or process of change by which an organism becomes better suited to its environment; often in response to selective pressures.