Final answer:
The concept of selection in Darwinian terms indeed refers to the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce in their environments, a principle that lies at the heart of natural selection. This process favors organisms with traits that increase their evolutionary fitness, which encompasses more than just physical strength but a range of adaptations that enhance survival and reproductive success.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Charles Darwin, the term selection refers to the process by which organisms with variations that increase their chance of survival and reproduction are more likely to pass on these favorable traits to their offspring. This concept is a cornerstone of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. In this context, selection indicates organisms' ability to survive the 'struggle for existence' and successfully reproduce within their particular environments, which is a true characterization of Darwin's ideas.Darwin defined fitness as an organism's relative ability to survive and produce fertile offspring. Variations that are most beneficial to an organism's survival, given the specific environmental pressures such as predation, climate, or competition for resources, are naturally selected over time, leading to evolutionary change within a population. This process is distinct from artificial selection, where humans actively choose traits they find desirable in plants and animals and breed them selectively.It is critical to note that the phrase 'survival of the fittest,' often associated with Darwin, was actually coined by Herbert Spencer. The concept of survival of the fittest doesn't just mean the strongest physically survive but refers to the idea that organisms best suited to their environment, and thus most evolutionarily fit, are those that survive to reproduce. Fitness can manifest in a variety of traits, including those that allow an organism to evade predators, gather resources more efficiently, or tolerate harsh conditions.The process of natural selection entails that populations evolve when three principles hold: inheritance of traits, production of more offspring than can survive, and variation among offspring regarding their characteristics, leading to differential survival and reproduction. This ultimately brings about adaptation to the local environment and could potentially lead to the evolution of new species over time. The statement provided by the student is true: Darwin used 'selection' to indicate organisms' abilities to survive and reproduce in their environments.