Definition: A process by which heritable traits conferring survival and reproductive advantage to individuals, or related individuals, tend to be passed on to succeeding generations and become more frequent in a population, whereas other less favourable traits tend to become eliminated; the differential survival and reproduction of phenotypes.
Alright class, settle down, let’s talk about “selections,” it's a really important word in biology!
Now, that dictionary definition is quite long, but don't worry, we can break it down. Think of it like this:
selection is the engine driving evolution.
Let's unpack it piece by piece with a little rhyme to help you remember:
“
Selection’s the force, a powerful plea,
For traits that help creatures to be free.
To thrive and breed, a fortunate sign,
Those qualities flourish, truly divine!
"
Okay, let's look at what that means. The dictionary is saying essentially this:
“Heritable Traits”:
These are characteristics passed down from parents to children – things like fur color in animals, or eye shape in humans. They’re coded in our DNA!
"Survival and Reproductive Advantage":
Some of these traits make an animal
better
at living longer (survival) and having more babies (reproduction). Maybe a faster cheetah is better at catching prey, or a bird with brighter feathers attracts a mate.
“Tended to be passed on…”:
Because those helpful traits are advantageous, they get passed down – like good genes being shared!
“…more frequent in a population”:
Over time, as more individuals have these beneficial traits, the
population
starts to have more of them. It's getting more common!
“Less favorable traits tend to become eliminated…”:
On the flip side, if a trait makes it harder to survive or reproduce (like a weak spot in an insect’s armor), individuals with that trait are less likely to pass it on. Eventually, those traits disappear from the population.
"Differential survival and reproduction of phenotypes":
This is just fancy talk for saying that
different versions
(phenotypes) of a trait – meaning different appearances or characteristics – have different chances of surviving and reproducing.
Think of it like this:
Imagine a forest filled with rabbits. Some rabbits are naturally faster, some are fluffier, some have better camouflage. The ones who are fastest can escape predators more easily, the fluffy ones stay warmer in winter, and the camouflaged ones hide from danger. Because they survive and reproduce
more
, there will be more fast rabbits, more fluffy rabbits, and more camouflaged rabbits in the next generation!
Do you have any questions about selection? Don't hesitate to ask – understanding this is key to unlocking how life changes over time!