Natural selection occurs when individuals with better "reproductive fitness" pass their genes to offspring.

This process depends on 3 conditions:

  1. Variation for a trait

  2. Heritability of that trait

  3. Differential reproductive success based on that trait

Summary: organisms evolve over time; "descent with modification" from a common ancestor.

Nature is the selection agent in wild populations, but humans can also cause evolution by artificial selection.

Quiz