Final answer:
Survival and reproduction are closely linked in natural selection, with survival ensuring an organism's presence in the gene pool and reproduction being the mechanism for passing on advantageous traits. Together, these processes drive evolutionary change within populations over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of natural selection, survival and reproduction are deeply interconnected processes that determine which individuals get to pass on their genes to the next generation. An organism's survival is crucial as it must live long enough to reproduce. Yet, reproduction is ultimately what enables an organism to pass its genes on, and the traits that improve an organism's reproductive success become more common within a population. These traits may relate to avoiding predators, finding food, or attracting mates—each contributing to the organism's fitness. Over time, the collective effects of these individual reproductive successes can lead to evolutionary changes within a population.
Factors such as timing and strategy of reproduction (early versus late, quantity versus quality of offspring) also affect survival rates and success in passing on genes. These strategies can be shaped by environmental pressures and resource availability, leading to a variety of reproductive adaptations. Therefore, while survival is a prerequisite for reproduction, it's the act of reproduction that enables natural selection to funnel beneficial traits into future generations, shaping the evolutionary path of a species.