What is natural selection?

Natural selection is the 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. This concept, central to the theory of evolution, was first formulated by Charles Darwin. The idea highlights that certain traits can give individuals an advantage in their environment—whether for acquiring resources, avoiding predators, or withstanding climate changes—leading those individuals to have a higher likelihood of survival and a greater chance to pass on their advantageous traits to the next generation.

By this mechanism, traits that confer survival advantages become more common in the population over time, shaping the species. This process is not random, but rather is driven by environmental pressures that favor specific traits that enhance an organism's fitness, making option B the most accurate description of natural selection.

The other choices do not accurately capture the essence of natural selection. While all species do evolve over time, it is not solely through the method described in choice A. The statement in choice C incorrectly suggests that traits are inherited randomly, while traits can exhibit variation that is subject to selection pressures. Lastly, while genetic mutations (choice D) can contribute to variation in a population, they are not the defining feature of natural selection itself. Instead, natural selection is the