Provide your best answer for the following question. Give ONLY the answer, no other words or explanation.
For example:

Answer: <most likely answer, as short as possible; not a complete sentence, just the answer!>.

The question is: A population of plants growing on an island consisted of two varieties, one with thorns and the other without. Over a period of many years, the variety with thorns gradually disappeared. Which process most likely brought about this change in the plant population?
Natural selection, favoring the thornless variety.