1
Q
Adaptations?
A
A heritable phenotype that allows individuals to perform some function which enhances their
survival and/or reproduction (i.e., their fitness) in their current environment; i.e., a trait maintained by
natural selection for its current function
2
Q
Exaptation
A
Structures that are currently adaptations but that originally evolved in a different context, for some
other reason, and were later co-opted for their current, fitness-enhancing function
3
Q
Acclimation
A
• A process by which an individual organism adjusts to a change in its environment to
minimize the effect of stressors and to maintain performance
• Generally, relatively rapid and reversible; changes are not heritable
