Natural Selection
Natural selection is the process in which organisms with useful variations survive and reproduce more successfully in a particular environment.
Practice This ConceptMain explanation
Teacher explanation
Natural selection acts on variation. In any population, some organisms have features that help them survive better in a given environment. These organisms are more likely to live long enough to reproduce and pass the helpful traits to the next generation. Over many generations, the useful trait becomes more common in the population.
Example
If darker insects are better hidden from birds on dark tree bark, they survive more often and produce more young with the same feature. This is natural selection.
Simple analogy
Nature keeps the trait that helps survival.
Common confusion
Students sometimes think individual organisms change their traits because they need to survive. That is wrong; selection happens across generations, not by instant change in one individual.
Exam tip
When the question mentions better survival and more offspring over time, connect the answer to natural selection.
Answer writing and exam use
1-mark use
Write the exact meaning of natural selection in one clean line.
2-mark use
Define natural selection and add one example or condition.
3-mark use
Explain natural selection, show the method or example, and mention the common mistake.
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