The major types of natural selection include stabilizing, directional, and disruptive selection. Stabilizing selection favors intermediate traits, reducing variability in a population. Directional selection occurs when one extreme phenotype is favored, causing a shift in population traits. Disruptive selection, on the other hand, favors individuals at both extremes while selecting against average traits. These processes are fundamental mechanisms of evolution that shape the genetic makeup of populations over time, influencing their adaptability and survival.