What does adaptation mean in science?
To say that a species is an adaptive species is not to say that they are perfect or that they do everything perfectly. Evolution is a process that involves the gradual change of a species over time as they adapt to the environment around them. It is easier for species to adapt to a changing environment if they are able to reproduce quickly. In order for a species to reproduce quickly, they must have a short generation time.
What does adaptation mean in the word?
Adaptation refers to when an animal or plant changes its body or behavior in a way that helps it survive in its current environment. It can be a change that happened over millions of years as species evolved, or it can be a change that happens within a species over time as it adapts to its current environment.
What does adaptation mean in biology?
Evolution involves two processes: natural selection and the ability to adapt to a changing environment. The ‘ability to adapt’ is known as ‘plasticity’. Sometimes, natural selection can cause species to lose the ability to adapt to the changing environment, while other species become more flexible, allowing them to better fit into their new environment.
What does adaptation mean in science terms?
In the context of evolutionary biology, the term "adaptation" refers to any trait that helps an organism to better survive and reproduce in its environment. For example, a long neck helps giraffes to eat more leaves, allowing them to reach higher branches. A flat tooth enables a shark to crunch down on small fish. And a cloaca in some species of birds enables them to lay eggs and reproduce in water.
What is adaptation mean in science?
A relatively simple form of adaptation is compensation. Here, one trait that is expressed in one species is altered so that it no longer causes a negative effect on the species’ fitness. An example of this is the human thyroid gland, which is used to regulate the body’s energy levels. When humans were living in colder climates (during the Ice Age), their bodies naturally produced less thyroid hormone to conserve energy. To compensate for this, the thyroid gland developed a higher sensitivity to thyroid stimulating hormone
