The connection between genetic variation and evolution is fundamental, as genetic variation provides the raw material for natural selection to act upon. Variations in genes and alleles within a population can result from mutations, gene flow, and genetic drift, leading to differing phenotypes. When environmental pressures favor certain traits, individuals with those advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, thus passing on those traits to the next generation. Over time, this process drives evolutionary change, leading to adaptation and the emergence of new species.