Evolution by Natural Selection

If Charles Darwin had found this plant during his travels, he would have explained this adaptation through the idea of the survival of the fittest or natural selection. He would have said that the trait for trapping and digesting insects for nutrients existed in some individuals of the population while it did not exist or was very poor for other individuals. He might have said that Venus flytraps that have triggers which are more sensitive, faster reflexes to close the leaves faster, have teeth at the edge of the leaves and/or produce better digestive enzymes are better suited to survive the local conditions; while the individuals that do not carry these traits will not get enough nutrition to survive, so their population will slowly decline and eventually disappear since they also cannot reproduce. Individuals that are better suited to survive do not need to depend on the soil for nutrition and instead can trap and digest insects for nutrients. They can survive to produce offsprings and pass on these strong, helpful traits. This process has happened and will continue to happen slowly over time.