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Natural Selection
Scientists
have many theories about evolution. One theory says that plants and
animals evolve through a process called natural selection. Here is how
natural selection might work in a population of rabbits.

More
rabbits are born than can survive. There isn't enough food or space on
the earth to support them all.
No two rabbits are exactly alike. They all
have different sizes, shapes, colors, and other traits. These variations
(differences) may mean that one rabbit has a better chance of surviving
than another. For example, a brown rabbit blends in with its
surroundings better than a purple-and-yellow polka-dotted rabbit does.
Predators are less likely to see the brown rabbit. Brown fur is an
adaptation–a characteristic that helps the rabbit survive.
The rabbits that live long enough to breed may pass on their
adaptations to their young, giving them a better chance of survival.
Over many generations, the rabbits that are well-adapted survive, and
those that are less well adapted die out. This is called natural
selection.
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