"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."
Any trait that has been shaped by natural selection in order to help organisms better survive and reproduce in their environment.
Natural selection: The process by which certain inherited traits become more or less common in a population over time.
Variation: The range of individual differences that exist within a population.
Fitness: The relative reproductive success of an organism carrying a particular set of genes.
Gene selection: The idea that certain genes are favored by natural selection because they enhance reproductive success.
Sexual selection: The process by which certain traits are favored because they give an advantage in attracting mates.
Eusociality: The social behavior of animals that involves cooperative care of offspring and division of labor.
Kin selection: The idea that certain behaviors that benefit relatives are favored by natural selection because they increase the survival and reproductive success of shared genes.
Group selection: The idea that natural selection can operate at the level of the group, favoring behaviors that benefit the group as a whole.
Behavioral genetics: The study of how genes and environment interact to influence behavior.
Developmental plasticity: The ability of an organism to adjust its developmental trajectory in response to changing environmental conditions.
Epigenetics: The study of changes to gene expression that occur without alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.
Phenotypic plasticity: The ability of an organism to alter its physical or behavioral traits in response to environmental cues.
Niche construction: The process by which organisms actively modify their environment to better suit their needs.
Coevolution: The process by which two or more species evolve in response to each other's adaptations.
Gene-culture coevolution: The interplay between cultural practices and genetic evolution.
Evolutionary psychology: The application of evolutionary principles to the study of human behavior and cognition.
Human universals: Shared aspects of human behavior and cognition that can be observed across cultures and societies.
Adaptationist thinking: The tendency to view all aspects of human behavior as adaptations shaped by natural selection.
Functionalism: The view that behavior and cognition are best understood in terms of their adaptive functions.
Mismatch theory: The idea that many of the problems faced by modern humans are due to the fact that our brains and bodies evolved to deal with conditions that no longer exist.
Physical Adaptation: Refers to the anatomical and physiological changes within a species that enhance its chances of survival in a particular environment. Example: Polar bears have evolved thick fur, which enables them to withstand the harsh arctic conditions.
Behavioral Adaptation: Refers to the changes in an organism's behavior that enhances its chances of survival and reproduction. Example: Migration of birds, who fly thousands of miles to escape harsh winters and breed in more favorable environments.
Genetic Adaptation: Refers to the changes in an organism's genetic makeup that allows it to adapt to a particular environment. Example: Human populations that have evolved to be more resistant to malaria.
Developmental Adaptation: Refers to the psychological and developmental processes in an organism that allow it to adapt to its environment. Example: The development of language acquisition in humans.
Cultural Adaptation: Refers to how societies adapt to their environment through the creation of shared customs, beliefs, and practices that enhance survival and reproduction. Example: Indigenous cultures that have evolved unique fishing techniques to sustain themselves in the face of changing environments.
Sensory Adaptation: Refers to the physiological and psychological changes in an organism's sensory system in response to changes in the environment. Example: The ability of owls to see in very low light conditions.
Physiological Adaptation: Refers to changes in an organism's metabolic or biochemical processes that enhance its ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment. Example: The ability of camels to store water in their humps to survive the harsh desert environment.
"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."