Adaptations

• An adaptation is a characteristic of an organism that has been favored by natural selection and increases the fitness of its possessor.

• The Oxford Dictionary of Science defines adaptation as "Any change in the structure or functioning of an organism that makes it better suited to its environment."

• Adaptation is the change in living organisms that allow them to live successfully in an environment. Adaptations enable living organisms to cope with environmental stresses and pressures. From: Wikipedia.com

Beak Adaptations

• Fast pointy beaks

Powerful wide beaks

Not Adapted for either

• Pointy but not good at picking up small insects

• Large but not good at cracking seeds

Bird Beaks vs Island’s food

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all foods hard seeds bugs no food

ShortPointywide

Island#1 Island#2 Island#4 Island#5

What caused the change in bird populations?

• The ability to obtain food and the types of food available.

Biotic factors

• Biotic Factors are the factors in a biome/ecosystem/habitat that include all living things. This can later be broken down into producers, consumers (primary, secondary, and tertiary), decomposers, and scavengers.

Abiotic factor

• Abiotic components are the nonliving components of the biosphere. Chemical and geological factors, such as rocks and minerals, and physical factors, such as temperature and weather, are referred to as abiotic components.

Biotic Factors Causing ChangeFood Predators Habitat

Grass Eagles Bushes

Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits

More Grass More Rabbits

More Eagles

Less Rabbits

More Bushes

More Rabbits

What Will they look like?

Hints

• What are the biotic factors that might cause change? Spikes on bushes

• What are the mutations or variations in the rabbit population?

• What variation will be the adaptation for the rabbit?

The Balance in Nature

• Nature’s balance can be disrupted by abiotic factors such as a drought.

• After the first organism is affected by the drought another will be affected by the change in the first organisms change in population.

All things are connected

• If a biotic factor changes in the environment then other organisms will intern be forced to also change.

Humans can make variations more pronounced

Artificial Selection

• Artificial selection is the process of changing the characteristics of animals by artificial means. For example, animal breeders, are often able to change the characteristics of domestic animals by selecting for reproduction those individuals with the most desirable qualities such as speed in racehorses, milk production in cows, trail scenting in dogs.