Module 4 : Section 3 - Adaptations

Question 1

What does being adapted to an environment means

Answer 1

Means an organism has features that increase its chances of survival and reproduction, and also the chances of its offspring reproducing successfully

Question 2

What categorises can adaptations be put into

Answer 2

• Behavioural
• Physiological
• Anatomical

Question 3

How do adaptations develop

Answer 3

• Evolution
• natural selection

Question 4

Who are the most likely to survive and reproduce in each generation

Answer 4

• The best-adapted individuals because they pass their adaptations on to their offspring
• individuals that are less well adapted are more likely to die before reproducing

Question 5

What do behavioural adaptations refer to

Answer 5

Ways an organism acts that increase its chance of survival e.g. :
- possum ‘play dead’, if they are being threatened by a predator. This increases chance of survival
- scorpions dance before mating, makes sure they attracted a mate of the same species, this increases the likelihood successful mating

Question 6

What do physiological adaptations refer to

Answer 6

Processes inside an organism’s body that increases its chance of survival
- Brown bears hibernate, lowers their metabolism over winter. Conserves energy so they don’t look for food when it’s scarce therefore increasing their chance of survival
- Some bacteria produce antibiotics, these kill other species of bacteria in the area. Means there is less competition so they’re more likely to survive

Question 7

What do anatomical adaptations refer to

Answer 7

Structural features of an organism’s body that increase its chance of survival
- Otters have a streamlined shape, making it easier to glide through water. This makes it easier for them to catch prey and escape predators increase their chance of survival
- Whales have a thick layer of blubber (fat), helps them keep warm in the cold sea. This increases their chance of survival in places where their food is found

Question 8

Organisms from different taxonomic group may have….

Answer 8

Similar features even though they’re not closely related e.g. whales and sharks. This is usually because the organism have evolved in similar environments and to fill similar ecological niches

Question 9

What is an ecological niche

Answer 9

The role of an organism within its habitat e.g. what it eats and when and where it feeds

Question 10

What example of species in different taxonomic groups having similar features do we need to know

Answer 10

The Marsupial and Placental moles

Question 11

How what are the three different groups of mammals

Answer 11

• Placental mammals
• Marsupials
• egg-laying monotremes

Question 12

Where are marsupials mainly found

Answer 12

• Australia
• the Americas

Question 13

When did placental and marsupial mammals diverge

Answer 13

Many million years ago and have been evolving separately ever since

Question 14

What are marsupials mammals

Answer 14

• E.g. kangaroos
• short gestation period (pregnancy)
• don’t develop a full placenta
• born early in their development and climb into their mother’s pouch. They become attached to a teat and receive milk while they continue to develop

Question 15

What are placental mammals

Answer 15

• longer gestation period
• develop a placenta during pregnancy, allows exchange of nutrients and waste products between fetus and mother
• are born more fully developed

Question 16

Why do marsupial and placental mole look alike but aren’t closely related

Answer 16

Even though they evolved independently on different continents and share similar anatomical features, the reason they look the same is because they’ve both enveloped in similar environments

Question 17

What is the lifestyle of the marsupial and placental moles

Answer 17

• Both types live in tunnels in the ground
• they burrow to reach their food supply (e.g. earthworms, insects, and other invertebrates)

Question 18

How are marsupial and placental moles adapted to their lifestyle

Answer 18

• small or non existent eyes because they don’t need to be able to see underground
• no external ears, to keep a streamlined head for burrowing
• scoop-shaped and powerful front paws, which are good for digging
• claws that are specialised for digging
• a tube shaped body and cone shaped head which makes it easier to push through sand or soil