Explain the process of natural selection and how it contributes to the evolution and adaptation of species.

Natural selection is a fundamental process in evolution that explains how species change over time . It was first proposed by Charles Dar win and Alfred Russ el Wal lace in the mid - 1 9 th century and is now widely accepted as the primary mechanism of evolution . \n \n The process of natural selection can be broken down into four key steps : \n \n 1 . Vari ation : Ind ividual s within a species exhib it gen etic variation , meaning that they differ from one another in their physical and behavior al tra its . This variation is due to mut ations , gen etic recom bin ation , and gen etic dr ift . \n 2 . D iffer ential surv ival and reprodu ction : Ind ividual s with tra its that are better su ited to their environment are more likely to surv ive and reproduce than those with less advantage ous tra its . This is known as " sur v ival of the f ittest ." \n 3 . In herit ance : Off spring inherit tra its from their parents through gen es . \n 4 . Ada pt ation : Over many gener ations , natural selection leads to the accum ulation of advantage ous tra its in a population , resulting in the adaptation of the species to its environment . \n \n N atural selection is a non - random process , meaning that it fav ors certain tra its over others . For example , if a population of birds has a range of be ak sizes , and the environment changes such that se eds become harder to crack , the birds with the larger , stronger be aks will be more likely to surv ive and reproduce , passing their strong be ak trait on to their off spring . Over time , the population will adapt to the new environment by developing larger , stronger be aks . \n \n N atural selection is a key driver of evolution and adaptation , allowing species to respond to changes in their environment and to comp ete with other species for resources . It is an important process in sh aping the divers ity of life on Earth . </s>