natural selection

Noun

Meaning

a natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment

Source: WordNet

Synonyms

survival of the fittest selection survival darwinism evolution adaptation phylogeny evolutionism phylogenesis natural law social Darwinism punctuated equilibrium darwinianism artificial selection organic evolution
Show all synonyms

Antonyms

unnatural selection artificial selection selective breeding artificial reproduction intended breeding intentional breeding
Show all antonyms

Hypernyms

action activity natural action natural process

Related terms

sexual selection artificial selection supernatural selection

Examples

I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection. Charles Darwin

Natural Selection is not evolution. Ronald Fisher

Natural selection is a mechanism for generating an exceedingly high degree of improbability. Ronald Fisher

Design in nature is but a concatenation of accidents, culled by natural selection until the result is so beautiful or effective as to seem a miracle of purpose. Michael Pollan

Although much remains obscure, and will long remain obscure, ... I am convinced that Natural Selection has been the main but not exclusive means of modification. Charles Darwin

Although I insist that God has always had the power to intervene directly in nature to create new forms, I am willing to be per-suaded that He chose not to do so and instead employed secondary natural causes like random mutation and natural selection. Phillip E. Johnson

Close letter words and terms

natural science natural scientist natural sedative natural selectional natural selectionary natural sexual act