How can adaptation influence the genetic composition of a population?

Adaptation can significantly influence the genetic composition of a population through several interconnected mechanisms, all of which are reflected in the provided options.

Firstly, environmental stressors create selective pressures that favor individuals with certain genotypes, leading to an increased likelihood of survival for those individuals. This means that specific traits that confer advantages in a given environment become more prevalent within the population over time, thereby shifting the overall genetic makeup toward those advantageous traits.

Secondly, individuals with favorable genetic traits are often more successful in reproducing, known as differential reproductive success. This means that these individuals tend to produce more offspring than those without such traits. As a result, the genes associated with these advantageous traits are more likely to be passed on to future generations, further altering the genetic landscape of the population.

Lastly, the basic principle of genetics states that genes can be passed to the next generation primarily through successful reproduction. Therefore, if certain genotypes lead to higher reproductive success, it naturally follows that these will become more common in the gene pool.

By acknowledging that all of these processes work together, it becomes clear how adaptation can lead to significant changes in the genetic composition of a population over time. Each of the individual mechanisms provides insight into the broader phenomenon of natural selection and evolution.