What term describes a physical trait that has evolved through natural selection to enhance survival and reproduction?

The term that describes a physical trait that has evolved through natural selection to enhance survival and reproduction is adaptation. An adaptation is a characteristic that has developed over time, allowing an organism to better fit its environment and improve its chances for survival and reproduction. This can include physical traits, such as the thick fur of an Arctic fox that keeps it warm in cold climates, or behavioral adaptations, such as migration patterns that help species find food and suitable breeding grounds.

When traits provide significant advantages in an organism's particular environment, they are more likely to be passed on to future generations, because the organisms bearing those traits are more successful in reproducing. This process of natural selection plays a critical role in the development of adaptations over time.

Other terms like mutation refer to random changes in DNA that can lead to new traits, while evolution is the broader process by which species change over time due to various factors, including natural selection. Homeostasis pertains to the regulation of internal conditions within an organism, and doesn't specifically relate to the evolution of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. Thus, adaptation is the most appropriate term in this context.