--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Natural selection acts only by the…" description: "\"“Natural selection acts only by the preservation and accumulation of small inherited modifications, each profitable to the preserved being; and as mode..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/charles-darwin-507_evolution_natural-selection-acts-only-by-the-prese_2700825.jpg" --- # Natural selection acts only by the preservation and… ![“Natural selection acts only by the preservation and accumulation of small inherited modifications, each profitable to the preserved being; and as modern geology has almost banished such views as the excavation of a great valley by a single diluvial wave, so will natural selection banish the belief…” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/charles-darwin-507_evolution_natural-selection-acts-only-by-the-prese_2700825.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/charles-darwin-507_evolution_natural-selection-acts-only-by-the-prese_2700825.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/charles-darwin-507_evolution_natural-selection-acts-only-by-the-prese_2700825.jpg) > ““Natural selection acts only by the preservation and accumulation of small inherited modifications, each profitable to the preserved being; and as modern geology has almost banished such views as the excavation of a great valley by a single diluvial wave, so will natural selection banish the belief of the continued creation of new organic beings, or of any great and sudden modification in their structure.”” [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Natural selection works through incremental, advantageous changes, not sudden, large‑scale transformations. **In simple terms:** Evolution is gradual, not sudden. Key Takeaway Embrace slow, steady progress. Themes evolution science gradualism Mood analytical curious Type scientific educational When to use this quote - education - research - conservation Key Concepts biology genetics adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How do small changes accumulate over time? - What evidence supports gradual evolution? A Different Perspective Sudden changes can still occur rarely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Natural selection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-selection/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [It may be said that natural selection is daily and hourly scrutinizing, throughout the world, every variation, even the slightest; rejecting that which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/it-may-be-said-that-natural-selection-is-daily-and-hourly/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [The survival or preservation of certain favoured words in the struggle for existence is natural selection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-survival-or-preservation-of-certain-favoured-words-in-the/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“Thus, as I believe, natural selection will tend in the long run to reduce any part of the organisation, as soon as it becomes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/thus-as-i-believe-natural-selection-will-tend-in-the-long-run-to/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“defines domestication as “the human creation of a new form of plant or animal—one that is identifiably different from its wild ancestors and extant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-christian/defines-domestication-as-the-human-creation-of-a-new-form-of-plant-or/) [David Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-christian/) > [The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. 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