Natural science > Evolutionary biology > Darwinism >
Natural selection

Last updated on Saturday, May 11, 2024.

 

Definition:

An audio version of this document will soon be available to you at www.studio-coohorte.fr. The Studio Coohorte gives you access to the best audio synthesis on the market in a sleek and powerful interface. If you'd like, you can learn more and test their advanced text-to-speech service yourself.

Natural selection is a key mechanism of evolution in which organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to future generations. This process leads to the gradual adaptation of species to their specific ecological niches over time.

```html The Concept of Natural Selection in Evolutionary Biology

The Concept of Natural Selection in Evolutionary Biology

Natural selection is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology that was first introduced by Charles Darwin in his groundbreaking work, The Origin of Species. It is a process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully than those that are less well adapted.

Key Elements of Natural Selection:

1. Variation: Within a population, individuals exhibit variation in traits.

2. Competition: Organisms compete for limited resources, such as food, shelter, and mates.

3. Heritability: Traits that enhance an organism's survival and reproductive success are passed on to offspring.

4. Differential Reproduction: Organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to future generations.

Examples of Natural Selection in Action:

- The peppered moth population in England during the Industrial Revolution, where darker moths were able to avoid predators better in polluted environments.

- The evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria due to overuse of antibiotics, leading to survival of resistant strains.

- The beak shape variations in Darwin's finches on the Galápagos Islands, where different beak shapes are adapted to different food sources.

Overall, natural selection is a key mechanism by which evolution occurs, driving the adaptation of populations to their environments over time. It is a cornerstone of modern evolutionary theory and has profound implications for our understanding of the diversity of life on Earth.

```

 

If you want to learn more about this subject, we recommend these books.

 

You may also be interested in the following topics: