Final answer:
Individuals survive selective pressures through advantageous genetic variations, behavioral adaptations, rapid reproduction, and social cooperation, which contribute to the process of natural selection. Over time, favorable traits become more prevalent within the population.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals in a population can survive various selective pressures due to certain traits that increase their fitness. When there is a selective pressure such as a predator, scarcity of resources, or changes in environmental conditions, several factors can contribute to the survival and reproduction of particular individuals:
- They possess genetic variations that provide advantageous traits, making such traits more common over successive generations.
- Behavioral adaptations may help them avoid the effects of these pressures.
- A rapid reproduction rate can facilitate quicker genetic adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
- Social cooperation and mutual assistance within a population can improve collective survival chances, benefiting individuals indirectly.
In terms of natural selection, individuals with heritable traits that confer a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely to pass these traits on to the next generation. Over time, these traits become more common within the population, leading to evolutionary adaptation and increased fitness in the environment they inhabit.