What exactly is natural selection and precisely where does it occur?

They don't have to be 'living' things.

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"And, lo, a great beast did stand before me, having seven heads, and on each head were there seven mouths, and in each mouth were there seventy times seven teeth. For truly there were seven times seven times seven times seventy teeth, meaning there were. . . okay, carry the three, adding twenty. . . plus that extra tooth on the third mouth of the sixth head. . . Well, there were indeed a great many teeth" - The Revelation of St. Bryce the Long-WindedHelp inform the masses - contribute to the EvoWiki today!

How does mating not get included in differential reproductive success?Of course natural selection is about mating. If nobody mates with you, it affects your reproductive success, just like being eaten or diseased does. And natural selection obviously looks at these, so why not mating?Mating preferences evolved via natural selection.I'd read about the Handicap Theory, if I were you.Edited by Doddy, : clarification

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"And, lo, a great beast did stand before me, having seven heads, and on each head were there seven mouths, and in each mouth were there seventy times seven teeth. For truly there were seven times seven times seven times seventy teeth, meaning there were. . . okay, carry the three, adding twenty. . . plus that extra tooth on the third mouth of the sixth head. . . Well, there were indeed a great many teeth" - The Revelation of St. Bryce the Long-WindedHelp inform the masses - contribute to the EvoWiki today!

Perhaps not, it may just be a runaway mutation.But on the other hand, it could be selected for. Given that there may be a genetic component to our preference in mate, would not those who wanted the 'fitter' mates be selected for? Would not that mating preference be conserved?

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"And, lo, a great beast did stand before me, having seven heads, and on each head were there seven mouths, and in each mouth were there seventy times seven teeth. For truly there were seven times seven times seven times seventy teeth, meaning there were. . . okay, carry the three, adding twenty. . . plus that extra tooth on the third mouth of the sixth head. . . Well, there were indeed a great many teeth" - The Revelation of St. Bryce the Long-WindedHelp inform the masses - contribute to the EvoWiki today!