natural selection

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natural selection

Natural selection favors the moths with better camouflage.

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.
natural selection

Natural selection favors the moths with better camouflage.

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

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