What causes natural selection to happen faster?

Natural selection occurs faster under conditions such as rapid environmental changes, high mutation rates, and populations with short generation times. When environments shift suddenly—due to climate change, habitat destruction, or introduction of new predators—species must adapt quickly to survive. Additionally, if there is a high level of genetic variation within a population, beneficial traits can spread more rapidly. Lastly, smaller populations experience more pronounced effects of genetic drift, which can accelerate the process of natural selection.