What is Selective pressure?

Selective pressure is when some things get to stay and grow more while others are left behind, like in a race where only the fastest runners win a prize.

Imagine you're playing with your friends in a garden, and there's a big pile of cookies. But not all the kids can reach the cookies, only the ones who jump really high or run really fast do. Those kids get more cookies, and they’re happy. The others? They might feel left out and not get as many treats.

Now think about animals in nature, like a group of rabbits. Some rabbits are faster than others. If there’s a wolf chasing them, the slower ones might be caught and eaten. The faster ones survive and have babies. So next year, most of the rabbits will be fast too.

This is selective pressure, it's like nature's version of a cookie race! Only the best survivors get to continue their story, and that makes whole groups change over time.