What principle explains the preferential survival of traits that promote reproduction and survival?

The principle that explains the preferential survival of traits promoting reproduction and survival is natural selection. This concept, first introduced by Charles Darwin, emphasizes that individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce in their environment. Over time, these traits become more prevalent in the population because those individuals are better suited to their surroundings and have a higher reproductive success.

Natural selection operates on the variation within a population, allowing individuals with traits that provide a competitive edge—such as better camouflage, improved foraging abilities, or resistance to disease—to thrive. This leads to the gradual evolution of species as favorable traits are passed down through generations.

Other options focus on different mechanisms of evolutionary change or human intervention. Evolutionary adaptation refers to the process by which populations become better suited to their environments over time, but it does not specifically address the mechanism by which certain traits are favored. Genetic drift is a random process that can lead to changes in trait frequencies in a population, regardless of their reproductive advantages. Artificial selection involves humans selecting for desirable traits, rather than nature filtering traits based on survival and reproduction, which makes it distinct from the process of natural selection.