Download Adaptations - Londonderry School District

Adaptations
View the pictures and describe how
each adapts to its environment
American Toad
• humans artificially adapt to extremes in
their environment.
• For example, coats in winter, sunglasses,
air conditioners, heaters, sunscreen, etc..
Adaptation
• The ability of living organisms to cope with
environmental change which then can be
passed on to future generations is called
adaptation.
• An adaptation is a genetic characteristic or
trait that makes an organism able to
survive in its environment.
• All organisms have special behavioral and
structural genetic characteristics.
• Different organisms can survive at
different stages of succession because of
their adaptations.
• Having the ability to adapt to changes in
the environment is critical for survival.
Species adapt slowly to changes.
• It may take hundreds of thousands of
years to accomplish.
• In some cases, the inability of species to
adapt quickly enough have led to their
extinction or being endangered.
• As humans rapidly change the Earth’s
biosphere species are being eliminated
because they cannot adapt fast enough to
the changing ecosystem.
• (ie. climate change)
Two Types of Adaptation
• Behavioral – how it acts
• Structural – how it looks, part of
the animal’s body
I. Behavioral – How it acts
Instinct: behavior an animal is born with and
does not have to learn.
A group of animals living together
offers several benefits
• Ex: herds, schools, flocks, packs
elephants, caribou, fish, geese, wolves,
• Decreases the organisms chances of
being singled out by a predator
• Learn of food sources from other members
in group
• Additional help provided by others in group
(bees: individuals of the same species
perform different tasks)
The time of activity
1. Nocturnal- active at night
(coyotes, owls, bats, skunks)
2. Diurnal – active during the day
3. Crepuscular – active at dawn & dusk
(elk)
4. Hibernation – reducing activity severely
for a period of time when food is scarce
• 1. Migration- moving from one area to another
for better climate, food, safe place to raise
young, safe place to live, or to go back to the
place they were born. (birds, caribou, salmon)
• 2. Mimicry- An adaptation in which an otherwise
harmless animal looks like a harmful animal in
order to protect itself. (butterflies)
• Communication – mating, warning of predator
(bird calls)
• 4. Intelligence - The higher the intelligence the
faster it can learn to make behavioral changes
in order to survive.
II. Structural – Physical characteristics
that take long periods of time to change
Beak Diversity
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/d-e/EagleAdaptationsBeak.gif