Definition

1. Noun:
   • A natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment: The process by which heritable traits that increase an organism's chances of survival and reproduction become more common in a population over successive generations. It is a key mechanism of evolution.

Usage

• Natural selection is used as a singular noun phrase to describe the scientific theory and the observable process. It is typically used in scientific, biological, and educational contexts.
• It is often preceded by verbs like , , , , or .
• It can be modified by adjectives like , , or to specify types of selection.

Examples

• Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace proposed the theory of natural selection.
• Over many generations, natural selection can lead to the formation of new species.
• The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a classic example of natural selection in action.
• Natural selection favors traits that enhance an individual's fitness in its specific environment.

Advanced Usage

• "survival of the fittest": A phrase often used synonymously with natural selection, emphasizing differential survival and reproduction. Note: "Fitness" in biology refers to reproductive success, not necessarily physical strength.
  • The concept of "survival of the fittest" is a central tenet of natural selection.
• "selective pressure": An environmental factor that causes natural selection to occur.
  • A change in climate can exert a strong selective pressure on a population.

Variants and Related Words

• Selection (n): The general process of choosing or being chosen. In biology, it is often shorthand for natural selection.
  • The study measured the strength of selection on beak size.
• Selective (adj): Relating to or involving selection.
  • The process is highly selective, favoring only a few variants.
• Evolution (n): The broader process of change in populations over time, of which natural selection is a primary cause.
• Adaptation (n): A trait that has evolved by natural selection and increases fitness.

Synonyms

• Darwinian selection: Specifically references Charles Darwin's formulation of the theory.
• Non-random differential reproduction: A more technical description of the process.

Related Phrases

• Natural selection acts on...: Describes the target of the process (usually phenotypic variation).
  • Natural selection acts on existing genetic variation within a population.
• Subject to natural selection: Describes a population or trait experiencing this process.
  • Every population in the wild is subject to natural selection.

Noun

1. a natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment