Final answer:
The female frog laying thousands of eggs exemplifies overproduction, a component of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, ensuring some offspring will survive and inherit favorable traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
A female frog laying thousands of eggs is an example of the mechanism in Darwin's theory of evolution known as overproduction. This is because frogs lay many eggs to ensure that at least some will survive to adulthood, considering many will be eaten by predators or not survive due to environmental factors. This concept ties into natural selection, where individuals with favorable traits survive to pass them on to future generations, enhancing their overall fitness within the environment. Overproduction is necessary because not all offspring survive to reproduce, and thus, the more offspring produced, the higher the chance that some will inherit favorable traits and continue the species.