The term for the natural selection of advantageous traits in a population is adaptive evolution. This process occurs when individuals with traits better suited to their environment have higher survival and reproduction rates, leading to the gradual increase of those traits in the population over generations. Natural selection drives this process, favoring adaptations that enhance fitness, allowing organisms to better survive and reproduce in their specific habitats. Over time, this can lead to significant changes in a population's genetic makeup and potentially result in the emergence of new species.