• Question: do you no anything about adaptations

    Asked by rcxdunicorn23699 to Allan, Angela, Diva, Harriet, Nathan on 29 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Allan Pang

      Allan Pang answered on 29 Jun 2012:

      Yes. What specifically about adaptation do you want to know?

      Environment is always changing and in order for a species to survive, it needs to adapt to that environment. Adaptation and evolution is intimately related. Because, for a species to survive, it has to change or evolve and possess qualities to survive (and adapt) the changing environment.

    • Photo: Nathan Langford

      Nathan Langford answered on 29 Jun 2012:

      Hi rcxdunicorn23699,

      One of the interesting things about adaptations in evolution is that it is a completely random process, which is why it usually takes so long.

      You see, as you know, every time a male and a female animal mate to produce offspring, the offspring inherits half of its DNA (genetic code) from its mum and half from its dad. So in general, most offspring a fairly closely related to their parents. But because they are a combination, they are always a little bit different and there is also the potential for some sort of genetic mutation which changes the genetic material in some way. (Some mutations, like cancers, are dangerous to the animal carrying them and may even end up killing them. Others might be harmless.)

      And here comes the cool bit. Over many many generations of breeding, many many slightly different variations of that animal will be born and die. Each of them will have slightly different characteristics. Now, if there is one particular characteristic which provides the animal with an advantage in some way, then over time, the animals that possess that particular characteristic will be more likely to survive longer and prosper than those that don’t. For example, imagine we lived in a place where the only food was fruit that only grew on a tree which didn’t have any branches below 2m off the ground. That would mean that people who were tall would find it easier to pick the fruit and eat than people who were short. And over time, the tall people would prosper and would breed more successfully and gradually “the people would grow taller and taller” – they would evolve. This process is called “natural selection”, an amazing idea introduced by Charles Darwin.

      So to summarise, the genetic changes or adaptations happen randomly and, gradually, those adaptations which provide some sort of survival advantage (e.g., resistance to a disease) or mating advantage (e.g., more brightly coloured feathers to attract a mate) make those animals more successful at reproducing and the species will evolve until that adaptation becomes a common characteristic.

      Hope that answers a bit of your question…

      Cheers,
      Nathan.

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