The process by which organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits to offspring, while organisms with less favorable traits are less likely to survive and reproduce. This leads to evolutionary change over time.
Coined by Charles Darwin, combining 'natural' from Latin 'naturalis' and 'selection' from Latin 'seligere' (to choose). Darwin used this term by analogy to artificial selection practiced by breeders.
Natural selection isn't about the 'survival of the fittest' in terms of strength - it's about the survival of the best-fitted to their environment! A tiny, energy-efficient organism might be more 'fit' than a large, powerful one if resources are scarce.
Darwin's framework centered male competition and agency in evolutionary success, while underrepresenting or erasing female choice mechanisms (sexual selection by females). This shaped biology curricula for 150+ years.
Pair with 'sexual selection' and female choice mechanisms. Specify agent of selection when possible.
["directional selection","stabilizing selection","disruptive selection","sexual selection"]
Barbara Smuts, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, and Dian Fossey demonstrated female animals actively shape evolution through mate choice and alliance-building—contributions marginalized in early Darwinian framing.
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