Evolution
Natural Selection
The process by which organisms with traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully, leading to the spread of those traits in the population.
Biological Context
Darwin's key insight: variation exists, some variants survive better, survivors pass traits to offspring, populations change over time. Natural selection is the primary mechanism of adaptive evolution, though not the only evolutionary force.
Business Application
Market selection: competitive pressures eliminate less-fit business models and amplify successful ones. Understanding selection pressures helps predict which strategies will survive.