What is the role of natural selection in evelution?

Question

jadeishere · Answer

Natural selection is the centralized idea behind evolution. It is the simple design behind the way nature and it's inhabitants adapt to their surroundings, and how they evolve so that they can survive in their habitat. Natural selection allows reproduction between creatures/animals so that they can thrive off of each others evolving skills, and reproduce children that are fully capable of living in their habitat.

mww · Answer

More appropriately one should think of natural selection as involving existing traits that favour survival in an environment. Some species naturally have characteristics that enable them to survive well. Because of this they are more likely to reproduce and carry on these characteristics to their offspring. The species that don't have favourable characteristics more likely die before reproducing (or their offspring don't survive well) and thus their population is reduced compared to those with favourable characteristics. The main idea is the characteristics were already present in species beforehand (rather than 'acquired') but nature selects which characteristics are favourable for survival and hence which species would go on to propagate best.