David: As I see it, there must be changes in competition and in environment, then adaptations, and then finally as a result of competition, survival of some phenotypes. I view natural selection only as the competition/survival part of the process. > > Matt: Addressing the red claim: > > This isn't a problem. Natural selection takes place at any given instance where a collection of organisms is being stressed. -No. You are starting at the beginnng of a process that leads to a point when NS can take action.