What is one outcome of natural selection?

One significant outcome of natural selection is that adaptive traits become more common in a population. This process occurs because individuals with traits that give them a better chance of survival and reproduction are more likely to pass these advantageous traits to the next generation. Over time, this leads to an increase in the frequency of those traits within the population.

Natural selection acts on existing genetic variation within a population, favoring those traits that enhance survival in a specific environment. This adaptive change is fundamental to the evolution of species, as it allows populations to become better suited to their environments, leading to greater fitness.

The other outcomes listed do not accurately describe what typically happens as a result of natural selection. For instance, the survival of all members of a population tends to be influenced by various factors, leading to competition and not equal survival. An increase in total population size is not guaranteed, as natural selection can sometimes lead to a decrease in population size if adaptively advantageous traits are rare. Lastly, while some weaker individuals may be eliminated over generations, complete elimination is unlikely and does not accurately capture the nuanced nature of survival within populations.