Natural selection

Biology


Natural selection
The process by which one population survives in an environment but another does not is natural selection. Often referred to as "survival of the fittest", this mechanism is one of the driving forces behind evolution and is based on the ability of individuals to reproduce and a population to adapt to their environment over generations, enhancing their ability to survive as a species. In turn, these concepts are based on heritable traits and allele frequency - genetic concepts. Natural selection spans the biological sciences as a concept, depending on genetics, evolutionary biology, anthropology, zoology, anatomy, physiology, and even molecular biology to describe it. Image: Darwin's Finches (or Galapagos Finches) from Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle round the world, under the Command of Capt. Fitz Roy, 1845 (copyright expired) What 'survival of the fittest' means by Keith Hamburger The phrase "survival of the fittest" is often used to describe what Charles Darwin called "natural selection". These exact words were not coined by Darwin but by a contemporary of his, Herbert Spencer...More> 15 articles Write What is a biological species? by Heather Lyon Humans have a need to classify and simply information. One way we do this in biology is by naming and classifying all the organisms that have been discovered. A scientific name is given to all or...More> Write
	What is evolution by Sage Doak Evolution is life. Evolution is current. Evolution is undeniable. Evolution is stupid, or just misunderstood. Evolution is both a slow and steady process, as well as a fast random process. There ar...More> Write The role of natural selection in evolution by Tami Port MS In 1858, Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace released a joint scientific paper which introduced the concept of evolution by means of natural selection. This paper, along with Darwin's subsequent publica...More> Write Google Images
Arguments for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by Alicia M Prater PhD Charles Darwin was a nineteenth century naturalist who has become the focal scientist for evolution. Though recent advances in science, particularly genetics, has found that he got a few things wrong,...More> 1 articles Write The importance of Darwin's discoveries on the Galapagos Islands to understanding natural selection by Todd Christian Two months before he turned 23, Charles Darwin left his parents' home in England to set out on a three-year sea voyage that not only changed his life, but also altered the course of science and spawne...More> 5 articles Write Carl Sagan explains Natural Selection Carl Sagan explains how the process of natural selection really works.
Enter your comment below: If you are a registered Helium member, you may login and then leave your own comment. Flag Inappropriate Content

Quick Facts

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published by Charles Darwin in 1859 based on his observations of populations isolated on the Galapagos Islands.
Natural selection has four components: variation, inheritance, population growth, and imbalance between survival and reproduction.
The mechanism underlying natural selection is comparative advantage at a given time, which may or may not benefit the survival of the population over time.
One of the famous examples of natural selection and evolution are peppered moths.

Official Websites

Understanding Natural Selection
An illustrated explanation from the California Museum of Paleontology
Evolution and Natural Selection
A detailed explanation from the University of Michigan
Darwin and Natural Selection
By Dr. O'Neil at Palomar College, California
Natural Selection
From Minnesota State University

You must first be a logged in Helium user. Click here to join.

No Recent News Available

Natural Selection Made Easy

Explains natural selection in simple terms. A must for anyone who is confused by the Theory of Evolution, and wonders why it's taught in classrooms. This video is part of the 'Made Easy' series that explains the history of our world, from the Big Bang to the human migration out of Africa. (Music: Sergey Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf')

Was this Topic helpful?