natural selection

noun

: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment

Examples of natural selection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Since there are way more eggs than there are mature animals, and a lot of them die, natural selection for survival through the egg stage is likely extremely powerful, says Warkentin. —Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 29 Oct. 2024

This natural selection for friendliness is thought to have also caused many accidental changes—such as floppy ears, curly tails, and splotchy coats—as well as the ability to make eye contact and read human gestures in a way that wolves cannot. —Brian Hare, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2024

The closest parallels to Babb’s predicament might be the fate of innovators such as Alfred Russel Wallace, who came up with the concept of natural selection around the same time as Charles Darwin, or Gottfried Liebniz, who developed a variant of calculus just as Isaac Newton did. —Mark Athitakis, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024

Endorsements came from Alfred Russell Wallace, the co-discoverer of natural selection, and from Arthur Conan Doyle, the physician better known for authoring Sherlock Holmes. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

natural selection

noun

: a natural process in which individuals or groups best adapted to the conditions under which they live survive and produce young and poorly adapted forms are eliminated

Medical Definition

natural selection

noun

: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment