---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As Darwin himself was at pains to point…"
description: "\"As Darwin himself was at pains to point out, natural selection is all about differential survival within species, not between them.\" — Richard Dawkins"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/richard-dawkins-115_about_as-darwin-himself-was-at-pains-to-point_801788.jpg"
---

#  As Darwin himself was at pains to point out, natural…

![“As Darwin himself was at pains to point out, natural selection is all about differential survival within species, not between them.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/richard-dawkins-115_about_as-darwin-himself-was-at-pains-to-point_801788.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/richard-dawkins-115_about_as-darwin-himself-was-at-pains-to-point_801788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/richard-dawkins-115_about_as-darwin-himself-was-at-pains-to-point_801788.jpg)

> “As Darwin himself was at pains to point out, natural selection is all about differential survival within species, not between them.”

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

## 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 within species, not between them.

**In simple terms:** Evolution favors differences within a species.

Key Takeaway

Focus on intra-species competition.

Themes

evolution biology competition

Mood

analytical neutral

Type

scientific philosophical

When to use this quote

- conservation
- medical research
- agricultural breeding
- species management

Key Concepts

Differential survival genetic variation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does intra-species competition shape traits?
- What are limits of this view?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex ecosystems.

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[Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwin/) [Differential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differential/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Natural selection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-selection/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Pains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pains/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/)

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