"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. Thirdly, it is a phenotypic trait or adaptive trait, with a functional role in each individual organism, that is maintained and has evolved through natural selection."
The process by which an organism becomes better suited to its environment through genetic changes.
Natural Selection: The process by which traits that confer an advantage for survival and reproduction are more likely to be passed on to offspring.
Genetic Drift: Changes in genetic frequency due to random events, such as population bottlenecks or founder effects.
Mutation: The source of genetic variation, essential for allowing populations to adapt to changing environments.
Speciation: The process by which one species splits into two or more distinct species.
Convergent Evolution: The phenomenon where unrelated species evolve similar traits in response to similar environmental pressures.
Coevolution: The reciprocal adaptation of two or more species due to their interactions.
Evolutionary Arms Race: The ongoing battle between predator and prey or parasite and host, where both sides constantly evolve to gain the upper hand.
Sexual Selection: The process by which individuals with certain traits are more successful at finding mates and passing on those traits to offspring.
Adaptation to Extreme Environments: The ways in which organisms evolve to survive in harsh, unusual habitats.
Evolution of Social Behavior: The evolution of behaviors that benefit the group rather than the individual, such as altruism or cooperation.
Evolutionary Developmental Biology: The study of how genetic changes lead to morphological changes during development, providing insights into how evolution occurs.
Phylogenetics: The study of the evolutionary relationships between species, based on comparisons of DNA or other shared traits.
Paleontology: The study of the fossil record, which provides a window into the evolutionary history of life on Earth.
Human Evolution: The study of how humans and their ancestors have evolved over time, including the evolution of bipedalism, increased brain size, and cultural adaptations.
Evolution and Medicine: The ways in which evolutionary theory can inform medical research and practice, such as understanding the evolution of drug resistance or the causes of certain diseases.
Structural Adaptation: This involves physical changes in an organism's structure or anatomy to enable it to survive in a particular environment. For example, animals that live in cold regions have thick fur or feathers to help them stay warm.
Physiological Adaptation: This involves changes in an organism's biochemistry or metabolism to make it better suited for its environment. For example, desert animals have adapted to conserve water by excreting concentrated urine or storing water in their bodies.
Behavioural Adaptation: This involves changes in an organism's behaviour to help it survive in a particular environment. For example, animals that live in groups have evolved behaviours to help them coordinate and communicate with each other.
Mimicry Adaptation: This involves the ability of some animals to mimic other organisms or objects to avoid predators or attract prey. For example, some snakes can mimic the colours and patterns of leaves to blend into their surroundings.
Camouflage Adaptation: This involves the ability of some animals to blend in with their environment to avoid being seen by predators or prey. For example, chameleons can change the colour of their skin to match their surroundings.
Genetic Adaptation: This involves changes in an organism's genes over many generations to help it survive in a particular environment. For example, the peppered moth evolved darker colouration during the Industrial Revolution to blend in better with urban pollution.
Developmental Adaptation: This involves changes in an organism's development during its lifetime to help it survive in a particular environment. For example, the webbing between the toes of aquatic animals develops during embryonic development to help them swim.
Acclimation Adaptation: This involves temporary changes in an organism's physiology or behaviour in response to changes in its environment. For example, humans can acclimate to high-altitude environments by increasing their red blood cell count.
Cultural Adaptation: This involves the ability of some animals to transmit behaviour and knowledge from one generation to another to help them survive in a particular environment. For example, some primates have learned how to use tools to extract food from difficult-to-reach places.
"Historically, adaptation has been described from the time of the ancient Greek philosophers such as Empedocles and Aristotle. In 18th and 19th century natural theology, adaptation was taken as evidence for the existence of a deity. Charles Darwin proposed instead that it was explained by natural selection."
"Adaptation is related to biological fitness, which governs the rate of evolution as measured by change in allele frequencies."
"Often, two or more species co-adapt and co-evolve as they develop adaptations that interlock with those of the other species, such as with flowering plants and pollinating insects."
"In mimicry, species evolve to resemble other species; in Müllerian mimicry, this is a mutually beneficial co-evolution as each of a group of strongly defended species (such as wasps able to sting) come to advertise their defenses in the same way."
"Features evolved for one purpose may be co-opted for a different one, as when the insulating feathers of dinosaurs were co-opted for bird flight."
"Adaptation is a major topic in the philosophy of biology, as it concerns function and purpose (teleology)."
"Some biologists try to avoid terms which imply purpose in adaptation, not least because it suggests a deity's intentions."
"Charles Darwin proposed instead that adaptation was explained by natural selection."
"Thirdly, adaptation is a phenotypic trait or adaptive trait, with a functional role in each individual organism, that is maintained and has evolved through natural selection."
"Firstly, adaptation is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness."
"In 18th and 19th century natural theology, adaptation was taken as evidence for the existence of a deity."
"Historically, adaptation has been described from the time of the ancient Greek philosophers such as Empedocles and Aristotle."
"Often, two or more species co-adapt and co-evolve as they develop adaptations that interlock with those of the other species."
"In biology, adaptation has three related meanings."
"Secondly, adaptation is a state reached by the population during that process."
"Thirdly, adaptation is a phenotypic trait or adaptive trait, with a functional role in each individual organism, that is maintained and has evolved through natural selection."
"Charles Darwin proposed instead that it was explained by natural selection."
"In mimicry, species evolve to resemble other species; in Müllerian mimicry, this is a mutually beneficial co-evolution as each of a group of strongly defended species come to advertise their defenses in the same way."
"Others note that adaptation is necessarily purposeful."