How the idea of artificial selection contributed to Darwin and idea on natural selection?

The concept of artificial selection, where humans selectively breed plants or animals for desired traits, helped Darwin understand the process of natural selection. He realized that if humans could influence changes in species through selective breeding, then nature could also act as a selective force, leading to the survival of organisms best suited to their environment. This insight informed Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, where the environment naturally selects for characteristics that provide a reproductive advantage.