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Adaptation is the process by which a species becomes fitted to its environment through natural selection. Learn about different types of adaptation, how they are studied, and why they are not always easy to identify.
- Paedomorphosis
paedomorphosis, retention by an organism of juvenile or even...
- Cold Adaptation
Other articles where cold adaptation is discussed: climatic...
- Sesamoid Bone
Other articles where sesamoid bone is discussed: joint:...
- Comparative Method
Other articles where comparative method is discussed:...
- Industrial Melanism
industrial melanism, the darkness—of the skin, feathers, or...
- Phylogenetic Tree
phylogenetic tree, a diagram showing the evolutionary...
- Phenotype
Phenotype, all the observable characteristics of an organism...
- Thumb
Thumb, short, thick first digit of the human hand and of the...
- Canine Teeth
canine tooth, in mammals, any of the single-cusped...
- Paedomorphosis
Oct 19, 2023 · Adaptation is the biological mechanism by which organisms adjust to new or changing environments. Learn about different types of adaptation, the theory of natural selection, and the history of adaptation studies.
In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the population during that process.
- Adaptation Definition
- Types of Adaptation
- Examples of Adaptation
- Quiz
An adaptation, or adaptive trait, is a feature produced by DNA or the interaction of the epigenome with the environment. While not all adaptations are totally positive, for an adaptation to persist in a population it must increase fitness or reproductive success. All offspring, whether formed sexually or asexually, inherit their traits from their p...
Genetic Mutation and Recombination
Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the molecule that carries the information necessary for creating and maintaining life. DNA is made from a series of nucleotides, 4 small chemicals which chain together. The sequence of these chemicals can be read by specialized enzymesand organelles within cells to produce new proteins. These proteins have various functions, and determine how the cell functions within its environment. Since the first proteins and cellular constituents aggregated to form the f...
Changes in Environment
Changes in the environment are second major category of adaptation. In many cases the epigenome is as or more important that the DNA itself. Large environmental changes, such as a change in ocean temperature or acidity, can affect a great number of species. As the environment changes, the proteins of the organisms start to function differently. Changes to the DNA or to how the epigenome interacts with the new environment can lead to a novel adaptation. For instance, life on Earth currently de...
Rhinocerous Beetle
If you’ve ever seen a Rhinoceros Beetle, you’ve probably wondered what it uses those huge horns for. Seen below is a male Rhino Beetle, with its distinctive headgear. Like all arthropods, the beetle is divided into segments. These various sections are very responsive to adaptation. In the Rhino Beetle, the head section has developed these large thorns. The male beetles use these large obtrusions to fight each other, in competition for females. It is presumed that ancestral beetles had little...
Digestive Tract in Mammals
If you were to dissect various mammals, you would find something very peculiar in the size and composition of their digestive tract. Carnivores, like wolves and cats, have very short and simple digestive tracts. In fact, the more carnivorous an animal, the shorter and simpler the digestive tract is. Meat and animal products are easily digested. The adaptation of a short gut allows these animals to quickly process the energy out of their meaty meal, before it starts to rot in their gut. Herbiv...
1. A fox has a litter of 3 kits. 1 of the kits is randomly eaten by an eagle. Only 1 of the remaining kits learns how to successfully feed itself, the other starves to death. Which of the following could be considered an adaptation? A. The learning that allowed the survivor to feed itself B. Any genetic basis for the intelligence of the surviving f...
In biology, adaptation is defined a heritable behavioral, morphological, or physiological trait that has evolved through the process of natural selection, and maintains or increases the fitness of an organism under a given set of environmental conditions. This concept is central to ecology: the study of adaptation is the study of the ...
Jun 15, 2022 · Adaptation Definition. In biology and ecology, adaptation refers to the process of adjusting behavior, physiology, or structure to become more suited to an environment. It may also be defined as the state reached by the biological population undergoing adjustments or changes.
An adaptation is a feature that arose and was favored by natural selection for its current function. Adaptations help an organism survive and/or reproduce in its current environment.
