ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Selection (biology)

Selection in biology is like a game of choosing the best candy from a big jar. In this game, the candies are different types of plants or animals, and the players are usually predators like lions or insects that feed on them.

These predators have to be very picky about which candy they eat because they need to get the most energy they can for survival. They will choose the candies that have the best taste, are the easiest to catch or have the most nutritional value.

This process of choosing the best candies is called selection, and it happens in nature all the time. The animals that are best at finding and eating the best candies are the ones that survive and pass on their genes to the next generation.

Over time, this means that the population of candies (plants or animals) changes. You might notice that in the jar of candies, some types disappear and others become more common. This is because the predators are selecting the best ones, and over time, the weaker ones die out, while the stronger ones thrive.

This is how natural selection works in biology. It's all about choosing the best candies (plants or animals) in order to survive and pass on your genetic traits to the next generation. In this way, evolution happens, and species change over time to adapt to new environments and challenges.