natural selection
Evolution happens because of natural selection . Good traits become more common in a population. Bad traits become less common. The deer mouse, species Peromyscus maniculatus gives an example of evolution by natural selection. In Nebraska, this mouse is typically brown. But in places where glaciers dropped lighter sand over the darker soil, the mice are light. Why? Because predators could more easily spot the dark mice on light sand. The lighter mice were more likely to survive and have offspring. Natural selection favored the light mice. Over time, the population became light colored. Enough changes may take place over time that the two types of mice become different species.