Natural Selection is the accepted theory of evolution first postulated by Charles Darwin and can be thought of as 'survival of the fittest'. It is the process by which a species gradually evolves through time.
How does it work?
- All organisms within a species show variation between each other due to differences in their genes.
- Only those characteristics coded for in an organisms genes can be passed on to their offspring. Variation caused by the environment cannot be inherited.
- Those individuals with characteristics that make them more suited to the environment ( e.g. a finch with a beak shape better suited to eating the food available) will be more likely to survive and reproduce. These genes coding for the successful characteristic are then passed onto their offspring.
- Those individuals with characteristics poorly adapted to the environment are less likely to survive and reproduce. Therefore their genes are less likely to be passed to offspring.
- As these advantageous genes accumulate throughout the generations, a species gradually evolves.