What does 'natural selection' primarily influence?

Natural selection primarily influences the survival and reproductive success of individuals with favorable traits. This is a fundamental principle of evolutionary biology, where organisms that possess advantageous traits that enhance their ability to survive and reproduce are more likely to pass those traits onto the next generation. Over time, these favorable traits become more common in the population, as those individuals that are best adapted to their environment thrive and contribute to the gene pool.

This process emphasizes the importance of adaptation to the environment, where traits that improve an organism's chances of survival and reproduction are selected for. Traits can include physical characteristics, behaviors, and physiological functions that provide an individual with a competitive edge in their habitat. Over generations, natural selection drives the evolutionary changes in populations, leading to the adaptation of species to their environments.

The other choices address different concepts. Artificial breeding pertains to human interventions in reproduction, while neutral traits do not have a direct impact on fitness in terms of survival and reproduction. Although extinction can be influenced by natural selection, it is not its primary focus; rather, natural selection is about the continuation and adaptation of species through favorable traits.