Selective pressures

Definition

Selective pressures are environmental factors that influence which individuals within a population are more likely to survive and reproduce. These pressures can include competition for resources, predation, disease, or climate change.

Related terms

Natural selection: The process by which certain heritable traits become more common in a population over time due to differential reproductive success.

Adaptation: A trait or characteristic that increases an organism's chances of survival and reproduction.

Evolutionary arms race: A pattern of coevolution between two species where each species evolves traits and strategies to outcompete the other.