Final answer:
The statement is false. Darwinian evolution or natural selection favors better-adapted organisms, leading to their increased prevalence in a population over time. Evolution is not random but a process driven by the differential survival and reproduction due to heritable traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that better adapted organisms are selected against in the process of Darwinian evolution is false. In fact, Darwinian evolution, also known as natural selection, is the process in which better-adapted organisms have a competitive advantage in survival and reproduction. For example, the beak size of Darwin's finches changing as the availability of different-sized seeds changes is an adaptation to their environment that through natural selection makes them more likely to survive and reproduce.
Situations where less-fit organisms survive and reproduce do occur, but they are exceptions rather than the rule in natural selection. These exceptions can result from a variety of factors, including genetic drift, changing environmental conditions, or a particular trait being advantageous only under specific circumstances. In contrast to these exceptions, natural selection typically favors individuals with favorable genetic traits, such as better running speed or drug resistance in viruses, resulting in their prevalence over time in the population.
It's important to clarify that evolution is not a random process but is rather driven by the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to their heritable traits. Artificial selection, where humans select desirable traits, parallels natural selection, but instead of nature, human preference determines the traits that are passed down through generations.