What is natural selection?

Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment have a higher likelihood of surviving and reproducing compared to those that are less well adapted. This concept is fundamental to the theory of evolution and highlights how certain traits can become more common within a population over generations due to their advantages in terms of survival and reproduction.

In nature, various factors such as climate, food availability, predators, and disease can influence which individuals are more likely to thrive. Over time, beneficial traits—those that enhance survival or reproductive success—become more prevalent, while less advantageous traits may diminish. This process leads to the gradual evolution of species.

The other options presented do not align with the definition of natural selection. Selecting the best crops refers to agricultural practices but does not encapsulate the broader biological processes at play in evolution. Artificial breeding techniques involve human intervention to select desirable traits in animals, which is distinct from the natural processes in natural selection. Finally, the origin of the universe is a separate scientific topic that does not relate to the mechanisms of evolution and species adaptation.