Here's why:
* Definition: Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully than those less adapted.
* Mechanism: It's a continuous and ongoing process, driven by the following factors:
* Variation: Individuals within a population have slight differences in their traits.
* Inheritance: These traits are passed down from parents to offspring.
* Differential Survival and Reproduction: Individuals with traits better suited to the environment are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on those traits.
* Outcome: The result of this process is evolution: the gradual change in the genetic makeup of a population over time.
In summary: Natural selection is the process that drives the result of evolution.