Explain why the relationship between evolution and natural selection is so important?

Answer 1

Natural selection is the driving force behind evolution. Natural selection calls that favorable traits are more successful, and able to reproduce better. As the favorable traits are passed on more and more from generation to generation, the less favorable ones die out, basically what evolution is. The less favorable traits get "deleted", while gene mutation allows for the addition of newer and possibly better traits.

Answer 2

Very interesting question, and one which is quite difficult to explain.

Natural selection can be considered as the guiding force of evolution, just like gravity is the guiding force of an apple falling out of a tree.

Natural selection keeps the evolutionary process on track, weeding out the vast majority of changes which are bad and allowing improvements to be passed onto future generations and improved upon themselves.

Without natural selection, there would be no evolution, just lots and lots of random mutation events.

A common argument against evolution is that the world around us, complex things such as ourselves cannot be created by chance. Without natural selection this is true, but natural selection provides a mechanism to keep the good evolutionary steps, meaning millions of random events add up to make a complex outcome.

This is described by Richard Dawkins in "Climbing Mount Improbable". . . (not a quote, just a summary from memory)

If you were to imagine that the complex human eye is represented by the top of a huge mountain. At the bottom of the mountain is the origins of life. You cannot in one step get to the top of the mountain, or even several steps. But after lots and lots of small steps, the climb can be made. This is where natural selection comes in, providing foot holds from which you can get to the next step.

Answer 3

What relationship? Oh, you mean the theory that says we are nothing but animals therefore we can't be held responsible for our own actions? How else can some dumbass sue a restuarant for said dumbass spilling coffee on themself and win millions of dollars? If you mean that natural selection makes a white dog hide in the snow better than a black dog so he don't get eaten, i'll agree. If you mean that natural selection combines with evolution to turn the black dog into a penquin because penquins love the cold, your living in a fairy tale world. Why are you trying to compromise natural selection, which might happen, with a religion like evolution that can't happen?

Answer 4

Natural selection gives evolution it's "direction". Though in the long term there is no overall directionality to evolution, in the short term natural selection basically means that the most fit individuals in the current environment create the most offspring, to contribute to the next generation.

Without natural selection, evolution would be driven solely by random mutations and genetic drift--natural selection helps organisms become better adapted to the current environment by causing the preferential survival and reproduction of the most fit individuals.

Answer 5

As in everything described by a scientific (vs faith based) explanation, one needs both a process and a mechanism driving it.
Evolution is an observed process (the change in organisms over time) which cannot be denied by anyone who has taken the time to observe the fossil record. Life has changed over millions of years, and you just need to get over it, King James. There were a large number of investigators who had observed this before Charles Darwin was even a twinkle in his daddy's eye.
What Darwin did that was revolutionary was to offer a mechanism which would drive that change over time. He called that mechanism "Natural Selection". Evolution driven by Natural Selection occured before Darwin named it, and will continue long after we conclude this discussion!

Answer 6

Only thing I can figure out is they're both wrong.
One is King James' version, the other is Charles Darwin's theory.