Natural selection results in species that are better adapted to their environment
Natural selection acts as a filter over many generations. Individuals with traits that suit their environment survive and reproduce more, so those traits become more common in the species.
Real World
The peppered moth (Biston betularia) shifted from pale to melanic forms during Britain's Industrial Revolution as soot-blackened tree bark made pale moths more visible to predators, demonstrating that 'better adapted' is always relative to the current environment.
Exam Focus
Link every adaptation back to increased reproductive success, not just survival — exam mark schemes routinely require this explicit connection.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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