Natural selection is the process by which certain traits or characteristics become more or less common in a population over time. It is based on the idea that individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to their offspring. In contrast, individuals with less advantageous traits are less likely to survive and reproduce, thus reducing the frequency of those traits in the population. This gradual process of differential survival and reproduction leads to evolutionary change, allowing species to adapt to their environment over time. Natural selection is driven by factors such as competition for resources, predation, and changes in the environment, which create selective pressures that favor certain traits over others.
