Write about the process of natural selection in your own words. Use and underline the terms adaptations, traits, diversity, mutations, environment, population, and natural selection
Natural selection is the process by which certain traits or adaptations within a population become more common over time due to their ability to help individuals survive and reproduce in their environment. This process depends on a few key factors: diversity within a population, mutations that create new traits, the environment in which the population lives, and the concept of survival of the fittest.
In any population, individuals vary in their traits or characteristics. These traits can be physical, behavioral, or physiological, and they can be inherited from parents or arise through mutations in the genetic code. This diversity is important because it provides the raw material for natural selection to work with.
In every environment, certain traits or adaptations are more beneficial than others. For example, in a forest with thick underbrush, individuals with longer legs may be able to move more easily than those with shorter legs. Over time, individuals with traits that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on those traits to their offspring. This is the process of natural selection in action.
As a result of natural selection, populations can change over time as certain traits become more common and others become less so. This can lead to the evolution of new species and the diversity of life on Earth. In essence, natural selection is the driving force behind the adaptation of organisms to their environment and the survival of the fittest in the natural world.