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Adaptation. Any inheritable characteristic that increases an organism’s change of reproducing in a particular environment It depends on an organism’s fitness , which is its capacity to reproduce. Thought Questions 1.
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Adaptation • Any inheritable characteristic that increases an organism’s change of reproducing in a particular environment • It depends on an organism’s fitness, which is its capacity to reproduce
Thought Questions 1 • Suppose an environment has rainy summers and mild, dry winters. Describe one adaptation that would make a mammal well-adapted to such an environment.
Types of adaptations: • Structural adaptations • Behavioral adaptations • Physiological adaptations
Structural adaptation • Refers to the form that an organism takes to meet its environmental pressures
Thought Question 2 • Arctic foxes can grow as large as 8 kg. Fennec foxes grow only 1.5 kg. Suggest how the foxes’ masses are structural adaptations to their respective environments.
Behavioral adaptations • This is what we call inherited, or instinct, things that animals do before they actually learn them. • Arctic foxes versus Fennec foxes
Thought Question 3 • A fennec fox raised in captivity away from other fennecs will try to dig a burrow in its cage. Explain why this shows that burrow-diffing is an innate behavior, not a learned behavior.
Physiological adaptations • These are profound changes a species undergoes at the level of biochemical process
Behavioral adaptations • Innate behavior • Social behavior • Learned behavior
Innate behvior • This does not need to be learned or taught • It is programmed within the organism’s central nervous system. • Dormancyis an example- when an organism enters a sleep-like state: • It’s breathing slows • It’s heartbeat slows • Body temperature drops
Thought Question 4 • In moderate climates in the United States, most animals do not go dormant during the winter. Why not?
Social behavior • Things organisms do involving other organisms to increase survival • Example: mating rituals • Actions undergone by a species of animals to attract a mate for reproduction
Thought Question 5 • Swimming in schools is a social behavior seen in fish. Why might a group of fish be more efficient than a single fish at finding food?
Learned behavior • Behaviors actually taught to young organisms to aid in their survival
Thought Question 6 • Describe two learned behaviors that young human children exhibit.
Examples of adaptations: 1. Mimicry: • One species takes on the look of another species • 2. Camouflage: • Enables a species to blend into its environment by having the shape of an object or by reducing the contrast and color difference between itself and its surroundings
Thought Questions 7 & 8 • The rain forests are home to many species of beetles, most of which taste bad to bird predators. Many of these different species have similar coloration. Why would mimicry benefit multiples species that have real defenses? • The arctic fox is brown in the summer but turn white in the winter. Explain why this happens.
Thought Questions 9 & 10 • Which type of adaptation occurred in the birds: structural, behavioral, or physiological? Explain you answer. • Explain why it is important that there is variation within populations.
Exit ticket • Answer the question on the sheet provided. Remember to restate the question and answer in complete sentences.
