Which concept explains evolution by differential survival and reproduction?

Which concept explains evolution by differential survival and reproduction?

• A. Darwinian evolution
• B. Natural selection
• C. Fossilization
• D. Stratification

Answer: (B)

Natural selection is the process by which evolution occurs through differential survival and reproduction. In any population, individuals have variation in heritable traits. Those traits that help an organism survive longer or reproduce more successfully lead to more offspring, so the trait becomes more common in the next generation. Over many generations, this shifts the population toward better adaptation to the environment. Darwinian evolution is the broader idea that natural selection drives evolution, but the specific mechanism described by differential survival and reproduction is natural selection. Fossilization and stratification describe how fossils form and how rock layers are arranged, not how traits spread through populations.

Natural selection is the process by which evolution occurs through differential survival and reproduction. In any population, individuals have variation in heritable traits. Those traits that help an organism survive longer or reproduce more successfully lead to more offspring, so the trait becomes more common in the next generation. Over many generations, this shifts the population toward better adaptation to the environment. Darwinian evolution is the broader idea that natural selection drives evolution, but the specific mechanism described by differential survival and reproduction is natural selection. Fossilization and stratification describe how fossils form and how rock layers are arranged, not how traits spread through populations.