A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

• A. Natural selection
• B. Evolution
• C. Adaptation
• D. Fitness

Answer: (A)

Natural selection is the process by which individuals with inherited traits that improve their survival or reproductive success tend to leave more offspring, so those advantageous traits become more common in the population over generations. This differential survival and reproduction is what shifts the population's genetic makeup, driving evolutionary change. An adaptation is a trait that increases fitness in a given environment, and fitness is a measure of reproductive success. So the scenario describes natural selection because it highlights how inherited traits influence who survives and reproduces more, shaping the population over time.

Natural selection is the process by which individuals with inherited traits that improve their survival or reproductive success tend to leave more offspring, so those advantageous traits become more common in the population over generations. This differential survival and reproduction is what shifts the population's genetic makeup, driving evolutionary change. An adaptation is a trait that increases fitness in a given environment, and fitness is a measure of reproductive success. So the scenario describes natural selection because it highlights how inherited traits influence who survives and reproduces more, shaping the population over time.