Answer:
3. shapes the genetic characteristics of a species as a consequence of adaptation
Explanation:
Natural selection is a process characterized by how plants and animals that are able to adapt to changes in their environment are able to survive and reproduce while those that are unable to adapt do not survive.
In natural selection, those variations in the genotype which increases an organism’s chances of survival and procreation are preserved and multiplied from generation to generation at the expense of less advantageous variations.
Natural selection is a way of enhancing the preservation of a group of organisms that are best adjusted to the physical and biological conditions of their environment and may also result in their improvement in some cases.