I need a biology term.?

Question

In evolution, I need to know the term of when an organism adapts to a change in the environment..for example, if a forest of white birch trees suddenly become covered in ash, the moth population will slowly change from white to black.

Answer 1

I thought that was called adaptation?

Answer 2

K is right. Natural selection is a very slow process that will occur. The individual moths won't change at all, but the black ones will most likely be killed before they can reproduce (because they have no camouflage adn are easier for predators to see). The white moths however will live long enough to reproduce and then white will become a majority making black moths rare.

Answer 3

Natural selection.