What process describes how individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce?

Natural selection is the process by which individuals that possess favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce in their environments. This concept was famously articulated by Charles Darwin and is a fundamental mechanism of evolution.

In natural selection, traits that enhance survival and reproductive success become more common in subsequent generations. For instance, an animal that has a camouflage trait may be less likely to be preyed upon, allowing it to live longer and reproduce more than those without such a trait. Over time, this can lead to a population that is better adapted to its environment.

The other concepts, while related to evolution, do not primarily describe this specific survival and reproduction mechanism. Adaptation refers to the changes that occur in a species over time in response to environmental pressures, genetic drift is a mechanism by which allele frequencies in a population change due to random sampling, and mimicry involves one organism evolving to resemble another for protection or other advantages. None of these processes specifically highlight the mechanism of advantageous traits leading to increased survival and reproductive success in the way natural selection does.