Natural Selection
Definition
Natural selection is the process where individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, causing those traits to become more common in future generations. It is one mechanism that drives evolutionary change.
Analogy
Imagine you're playing a video game and your character has certain skills or abilities that help them survive longer in the game world. As you progress through levels, these advantageous traits get passed down to your character's offspring, making them better suited for survival just like how natural selection works in nature.
Related terms
Adaptation: Traits or characteristics that allow an organism to better survive and reproduce in its environment.
Fitness: A measure of an individual's ability to survive and reproduce successfully.
Selective Pressure: The environmental factors or conditions that influence which traits are favored or selected for in a population.
"Natural Selection" appears in:
Practice Questions (14)
Whose theories about natural selection changed how we understand evolution?
What work did Charles Darwin compose that introduced the concept of natural selection?
Who developed the theory of evolution through natural selection?
Which term best describes the application of biological concepts of natural selection to sociology and politics?
What does Natural Selection, a key part of Darwin's theory, propose?
What did many late-19th-century proponents of eugenics misinterpret from Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection?
How did Darwin's theories of evolution and natural selection influence European views on social hierarchy during the 19th century?
Which influential thinker wrote "On the Origin of Species" that introduced concept of evolution through natural selection?
Who is known for developing the theory of evolution through natural selection during this period?
Which theory, proposed in this timeframe, suggested that species evolve over time through natural selection?
What scientific theory, first proposed by Charles Darwin, suggested that species evolve over time through natural selection?
Who is mainly responsible for developing the concept of natural selection during this period?
Who is the scientist credited with the development of the theory of evolution through natural selection?
Who was a key figure in developing the theory of natural selection during the period of scientific advancement in Europe between 1815 and 1914?
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