natural selection
nounDefinition of natural selection
: 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
According to Darwin, all current organisms are equally evolved and are all still affected by natural selection. — Antonio G. Valdecasas, The Conversation, "Evolution doesn’t proceed in a straight line – so why draw it that way?," 3 Sep. 2019 For Anelosimus studiosus specifically, the Miami Herald’s Alex Harris explains, hurricanes appear to act as a form of natural selection, shifting successful spider populations to the more aggressive end of the spectrum. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Hurricanes Are Making This Spider Species More Aggressive," 20 Aug. 2019 Researchers found that as a result of these weather events, one spider species, Anelosimus studiosus, has begun to evolve because of natural selection, according to the study. — Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, "Hurricanes are making spiders more aggressive: It's rapid evolution at work, study says," 20 Aug. 2019 Charles Darwin, the famous naturalist, alluded to it in his work on natural selection, as did his contemporaries, such as Herbert Spencer. — Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic, "The ‘balance of nature’ is an enduring concept. But it’s wrong.," 26 July 2019 Those aggressive spiders did a better job of having babies and keeping those babies alive — making hurricanes a form of natural selection favoring more combative arachnids. — Alex Harris, sun-sentinel.com, "Hurricanes may spin a more aggressive population of spiders, new study shows," 21 Aug. 2019 That suggests natural selection specifically favored short stature in this group, the authors say. — Michael Price, Science | AAAS, "‘Stature gene’ may reveal why these hunter-gatherers are among the world’s smallest humans," 13 Aug. 2019 Internecine warfare was waged in the ecological community, as groups took sides over whether we humans should interfere with the slow march of natural selection. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "How the California condor returned from the brink of extinction," 24 July 2019 Internecine warfare was waged in the ecological community, as groups took sides over whether we humans should interfere with the slow march of natural selection. — Los Angeles Times, "How the California condor returned from the brink of extinction," 24 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'natural selection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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