How does natural selection influence evolution?

Natural selection is a key mechanism of evolution that occurs when certain traits become more favorable in a given environment. This process leads to the survival and reproduction of organisms that possess those advantageous traits. As a result, over generations, these traits become more common in the population, leading to gradual changes in species and potentially the formation of new ones.

The aspects of natural selection involve a relationship between an organism's traits and their environment. For example, if a particular trait enhances an organism’s ability to find food, escape predators, or adapt to environmental changes, individuals with that trait are more likely to survive and reproduce. Consequently, those advantageous traits are passed on to subsequent generations, shaping the evolution of the species over time.

The other choices do not accurately represent the mechanism of natural selection. While increasing the number of species in an ecosystem can be a result of various evolutionary processes, it is not a direct influence of natural selection itself. The assertion that all traits are passed unchanged contradicts the very nature of genetic variation and evolution, as natural selection works on existing variations within a population. Lastly, while random mutations do occur and can introduce new traits into a gene pool, natural selection is not random; it specifically favors those traits that enhance survival and reproduction in a given