10.7 Adaptations

Adaptations?

characteristics that increase an organism’s chance of survival and reproduction in its environment

What are the three groups that adaptations can be divided into?

anatomical, behavioural and physiological adaptations

What are anatomical adaptations?

physical or structural features - internal and external

What are behavioural adaptations?

behaviours that enable survival

How do organisms gain behavioural adaptations (2)?

can be inherited or learnt from their parents

What are physiological adaptations?

processes that take place inside an organism

What do many adaptations fall into?

more than one category

An example of both a behavioural and anatomical adaptation in peacocks?

lifting its huge, colourful tail to attract the peahen during its courtship behaviour

Example of anatomical adaptations (4)?

Body covering, camouflage, teeth and mimicry

Anatomical adaptations: Examples of different body covering (5)?

hair, scales, spines, feathers and shells

Anatomical adaptations: an example of body covering helping an organism to fly?

feathers on birds

Anatomical adaptations: example of body covering helping an organism to stay warm?

thick hair on polar bears

Anatomical adaptations: example of body covering providing protection for an animal?

a snail’s shell

Anatomical adaptations: example of body covering providing protection for plants (2)?

waxy cuticle prevents water loss and spikes can deter herbivores and protect the tissue from sun damage

Anatomical adaptations: what is camouflage?

the outer colour of the animal allows it blend into its environment, making it harder for predators to spot

Anatomical adaptations: an example of camouflage in the snowshoe rabbit?

it is white in winter to match the snow, and turns brown in the summer to blend in with the soil and rock environment in which it lives

Anatomical adaptations: what is the shape and type of teeth an organism has in its jaw, linked to?

its diet

Anatomical adaptations: an example of herbivore teeth - what are sheep’s teeth like?

continuously growing molars for chewing tough grass

Anatomical adaptations: an example of carnivore teeth - what are tiger’s teeth like?

sharp large canines to kill prey and tear meat

Anatomical adaptations: what is mimicry?

copying another animal’s appearance or sound

Anatomical adaptations: what does mimicry allow harmless organisms to do?

fool predators into thinking its poisonous or dangerous

Anatomical adaptations: an example of mimicry - what does the hoverfly do?

the harmless hoverfly mimics the markings of a wasp to deter predators

Where is Marram Grass found?

commonly found on sand dunes around the UK

What type of plant is Marram Grass?

xerophyte

What is a xerophyte?

a plant that has adapted to live in an environment with little water

Scientific name for Marram grass?

Ammophila arenaria

As a xerophyte, what does Marram grass’ adaptations reduce?

the rate of respiration

Marram grass adaptations: what is a key feature of their leaves?

curled (or rolled) leaves

Marram grass adaptations: why do they have curled leaves?

to minimise the surface area of the moist tissue exposed to the air, and protect the leaves from the wind

Marram grass adaptations: what is there on the inside surface of the leaves?

hairs

Marram grass adaptations: why do they have hairs on the inside surface of their leaves?

to trap the moist air close to the leaf - reducing the concentration gradient

Marram grass adaptations: what is sunk into pits?

stomata

Marram grass adaptations: why are their stomata sunk into pits?

makes them less likely to open up and loose water

Marram grass adaptations: what do they have on their leaves and stems?

a thick waxy cuticle

Marram grass adaptations: what is the purpose of this thick waxy cuticle?

to reduce water loss through evaporation

What are the two categories that behavioural adaptations fall into?

innate (or instinctive) behaviour and learned behaviour

What is innate behaviour?

the ability do this behaviour is inherited through genes

What do innate behaviour adaptations allow the organism to do?

to survive in the habitat in which it lives

Two example of innate behaviour (in spiders and woodlice)?

the behaviour of spiders to build webs and woodlice to avoid light

What is learnt behaviour adaptations?

these adaptations are learned from experience or from observing other animals

An example of learned behaviour adaptations?

use of tools

An example of the use of tool - demonstrating learnt behaviour (sea otters)?

sea otters use stones to hammer shells off rocks, and then to crack the hard shells open

However, what are many behavioural adaptations a combination of?

both innate and learned behaviours

Examples of behavioural adaptations (3)?

survival behaviours, courtship and seasonal behaviours

Behavioural adaptations: Survival behaviours examples (what do opossums and rabbits do when they think they have been seen)?

an opossum plays dead and a rabbit freezes

Behavioural adaptations: what do many animals do to attract a mate?

many exhibit elaborate courtship behaviours

Behavioural adaptations: what does courtship increase the chance of?

increases an organisms chance of reproducing

Behavioural adaptations: an example of courtship in scorpions?

scorpions perform a dance to attract a mate

Behavioural adaptations: what are seasonal behaviours?

these adaptations enable organisms to cope with changes in their environment

Behavioural adaptations: What does seasonal behaviours include (2)?

migration and hibernation

Behavioural adaptations: what is migration?

animals move from one region to another, and then back again when the environmental conditions are more favourable

Behavioural adaptations: why might animals migrate (2)?

for a better climate or source of food

Behavioural adaptations: what is hibernation?

a period of inactivity in which an animal’s body temperature, heart rate and breathing rate slow down to conserve energy

Behavioural adaptations: What does hibernation reduce the animal’s requirement for?

food

Behavioural adaptations: an example of an animal that hibernates during the winter?

brown bears

3 common examples of physiological adaptations?

reflexes, blinking and temperature regluation

3 more unusual physiological adaptations?

poison production, antibiotic production and water holding

Physiological adaptations: what to many reptiles do to kill their prey?

produce venom to kill their prey

Physiological adaptations: What do many plants do to protect themselves from being eaten?

produce poisons in their leaves

Physiological adaptations: Why do some bacteria produce antibiotics?

to kill other species of bacteria in the surrounding area

Physiological adaptations: an example of an organism that can store water in its body (water holding)?

the water-holding frog (Cyclorana platycephala)

Physiological adaptations: what does the water-holding frog being able to store water allow it to do?

survive in the desert for more than a year without access to water

Physiological adaptations: What plants can also hold large amounts of water in their tissues?

many cacti and other desert plants

What do anatomical adaptations provide evidence for?

convergent evolution

Analogous structures?

structures that have adapted to perform the same function but have a different genetic origin (so although they perform the same function the structures are very different)

Convergent evolution?

independent evolution of similar traits or features in unrelated species

How are these similar features (analogous structures) formed in these unrelated species?

these similarities evolve because the organisms adapt to similar environments or other sectional pressures - therefore live in a similar way to eachother

An example of convergent evolution in animals on earth now?

Marsupials in Australia and placental mammals in the Americas

Why are the Marsupials in Australia and placental mammals in the Americas an example of convergent evolution?

the species in each continent resemble each other because they have adapted to fill similar niches

In placental mammals, what does the placenta connect the embryo to?

its mother’s circulatory system in the uterus

What does the placental mammal attaching to its mother’s circulatory system allow it to do?

to reach a high level of maturity before birth

Where do Marsupials also start life in?

the uterus

What do Marsupials enter while they are still embryos?

leave the uterus and enter the marsupium (pouch)

How do Marsupials complete their development in the marsupium?

by sucking milk

What did these two subclasses of mammals separate from?

a common ancestor more than 100million years ago

What then happened to each lineage after separating from this common ancestor?

each lineage evolved independently

What have Marsupials and placental mammals produced varieties of?

species that bear a strong resemblance in overall shape, type of locomotion and feeding techniques

What have they managed to create this similar species despite?

large temporal and geographical separation

How have they managed to create two very similar species?

because they have adapted to similar climates and food supplies

What is the feature that accurately reflects the two species (Marsupials and placental mammals) distinct evolutionary relationship (different origins)?

the organisms very different method of reproduction

Examples of convergent evolution: what are the key similarities between marsupial and placental mice?

very similar size (small), agile climbers, and very similar in size and body shape

Examples of convergent evolution: what kind of environment do marsupial and placental mice live in?

dense ground cover

Examples of convergent evolution: how do marsupial and placental mice get food?

forage at night for small food items

Examples of convergent evolution: what are the key similarities between flying phalangers and flying squirrels?

both are gliders that eat insects and plants

Examples of convergent evolution: what helps flying phalangers and flying squirrels to glide between trees?

their skin is stretched between their forearms and hind limbs to provide a large surface area for gliding

Examples of convergent evolution: what do both marsupial and placental moles do to get food?

both burrow through soft soil to find worms and grubs

Examples of convergent evolution: what are both marsupial and placental moles’ bodies like?

streamlined body with modified forelimbs for digging

Examples of convergent evolution: what kind of fur do both marsupial and placental moles have?

velvety fur

Examples of convergent evolution: what does their velvety fur allow marsupial and placental moles to do?

move smoothly through the soil

Examples of convergent evolution: what is the colour of the marsupial mole?

ranges from white to orange

Examples of convergent evolution: what is the colour of the placental mole?

grey

An example of convergent evolution in plants?

aloe and agave appear very similar to one another as they have adapted to live in the desert

Examples of convergent evolution: How have aloe and agave evolved?

entirely separately from one another

Examples of convergent evolution: where did aloe evolve?

in sub-Saharan Africa (‘old world’)

Examples of convergent evolution: where did agave evolve?

in Mexico and the USA (‘new world’)