Here's a breakdown of the three steps:

1. Variation: Individuals within a population have variations in their traits (e.g., size, color, behavior).

2. Inheritance: These variations are passed down from parents to offspring.

3. Differential survival and reproduction: Individuals with traits that are more advantageous in their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those advantageous traits to their offspring.

This means that over time, the population as a whole will become more adapted to its environment because the individuals with the most advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.