We explain what the adaptation of living beings is and what types of adaptation exist. Some examples of adaptations.
What is the adaptation of living beings?
In biology, we refer to the adaptation of living beings or biological adaptation to the process in which the latter develop the ability to survive in a different environment varying their strategies and even their physical characteristics, in order to preserve life.
Life adapts, thus, to changes in both abiotic factors (temperature, sunlight, pH, etc.) and biotic factors (new species, extinction, etc.) in its environment, through physical or behavioral changes that are transmitted to subsequent generations, thus guaranteeing the continuity of the species.
Adaptation plays an essential role in the evolution of species, since natural selection guarantees offspring to those who best adapt to the environment and to its eventual variations, extinguishing instead those who fail to do so. It is a very slow process, which can take numerous generations and is irreversible.
Adaptation should not be confused with acclimatization either acclimatizationa term that rather refers to the short-term compensatory changes with which species respond to changes around them, and which are the result of a certain margin of phenotypic plasticity (a certain flexibility in the functioning of their bodies).
Thus, by biological adaptation we can refer both to the process of gradual change and adaptation of species, and to changes in their body or behavior that increase the margins of survival, taking greater advantage of a characteristic already present.
Types of adaptations
There are three types of biological adaptation to the environment in which we live:
- Morphological or structural It occurs when the body itself of the species is varied (anatomical variation), whether in the loss or gain of members, their specialization, or the development of mimicry and cryptic colorations.
- Physiological or functional They are those that have to do with alterations in the internal functioning of organisms, such as the development of new organs, new enzymes or hormones to satisfy a specific need within the body, derived from the change in the environment.
- Ethological or behavioral As its name indicates, it refers to the behavioral changes that species adopt and transmit to their offspring to guarantee reproductive success and survival. It may well be more effective courtship mechanisms, feeding methods that involve fewer risks, etc.
There is current scientific debate regarding a fourth method, which would involve molecular adaptation. There is no clear criterion to determine the influence of natural selection on the molecular development of life forms as simple as viruses, for example.
Examples of adaptation of living beings
Some simple examples of each type of biological adaptation are the following:
- The spines of cacti In environments as hostile as arid ones, vegetation has adapted to protect itself more intensely from possible herbivores and also from UV radiation and excess heat. The thorns are leaves adapted to a new shape, sharp and pointed, which defend the tissues of the animals and provide a surface for water condensation, which in those places is not very abundant.
- The salt gland of marine iguanas Since these are reptiles that returned to the sea over the course of generations, their bodies were not initially adapted to the amount of salt they absorbed from seawater, which accumulated in their blood and was potentially harmful. So over the years their bodies developed a gland in which they could accumulate salt and expel it.
- The courtship of the birds of paradise These birds of the genus Paradisaeidade Over the generations, they developed a courtship mechanism, in which they spread their very colorful plumage and accompanied it with elaborate dances. This courtship allows females of the same species to recognize males available for mating, thus avoiding hybridization with similar bird species. This behavioral adaptation minimizes the number of hybrids and maximizes the survival of the species.
Continue with: Characteristics of living beings
