What phenomenon describes the process where individuals with certain inherited traits survive better and reproduce more effectively?

The phenomenon described in the question is natural selection. This process occurs when individuals within a species exhibit variations in their inherited traits, some of which may offer advantages in terms of survival and reproduction in their specific environment. Over time, these advantageous traits become more common within the population because individuals with these traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits to their offspring.

Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism of evolution, helping to explain how populations adapt to their environments. It results in the gradual change of species as advantageous traits accumulate and less advantageous traits diminish. The key aspects of natural selection include variability in traits, differential survival and reproduction based on those traits, and the heritability of successful traits.

In contrast, genetic drift refers to random changes in trait frequencies in small populations, which can lead to significant evolutionary changes but is largely driven by chance rather than selection based on advantageous traits. Gene flow involves the movement of genes between populations through migration, which can introduce new genetic variations but does not inherently favor the survival of particular traits. Mutation introduces new genetic variations, but on its own, it does not determine which of those traits will be favored for survival and reproduction.