Natural selection is a process in which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more than those that are not as well adapted. This leads to a change in the characteristics of a population over time, known as evolution. Evidence for this claim can be seen in examples like the famous case of the peppered moths during the Industrial Revolution in England. The light-colored moths became more visible against the soot-darkened trees, leading to an increase in the population of dark-colored moths as they had higher survival rates.
To explain how an organism shows the four parts of the process of natural selection, let's take the example of giraffes and their long necks:
1. Variation: Giraffes have different neck lengths within the population.
2. Inheritance: Giraffes pass on their traits (like neck length) to their offspring.
3. High reproductive rates: Giraffes with longer necks have a higher chance of surviving and reproducing.
4. Differential survival and reproduction: Giraffes with longer necks can reach higher leaves for food, survive better, and pass on their genes, leading to an increase in the proportion of long-necked giraffes in the population over time.
