Darwinian theory of the ... of the fittest (8)

I believe the answer is:

survival

(Other definitions for survival that I've seen before include "The ... of the fittest (Darwinian evolutionary theory)" , "The fact of continuing to live" , "-- of the fittest (Darwinian concept)" , "Continued existence" , "Relic from former times" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times and the Irish Times (Simplex).

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.