Adaptations

Question 1

Why is being adapted to an environment so important for organisms?

Answer 1

-it means it has features which increase its chances of survival and reproduction an also the chances of its offspring reproducing successfully

Question 2

What are the three categories of adaptations?

Answer 2

-behavioural
-physiological
-anatomical

Question 3

How do adaptations develop?

Answer 3

-evolution by natural selection
-in each generation the best-adapted individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing their adaptations onto to their offspring
-individuals which are less well adapted are more likely to die before reproducing

Question 4

Explain what behavioural adaptations are and give examples

Answer 4

-ways an organism acts that increases its chance of survival
-e.g possums play dead if they’re being threatened by a predator to escape an attack, increases its chances of survival
-e.g scorpions dance before mating to attract a mate of their same species, increasing its chances of successful mating

Question 5

Explain what physiological adaptations are and give examples

Answer 5

-processes inside an organisms body that increase its chances of survival
-e.g brown bears hibernate, lowering their rate of metabolism over the winter. This conserves their energy, so they don’t need to look for food in the months when its scarce, increasing chance of survival

Question 6

Explain what anatomical adaptations are and give examples

Answer 6

-structural features of an organism’s body that increases its chance of survival.
-e.g otters have a streamlined shape, making it easier to glide through the water, so they can catch prey or escape predators, increasing chances of survival
-e.g whales have a thick layer of blubber helping to keep them warm in the cold sea, increasing chance of survival where food is found

Question 7

Explain why different taxonomic groups may have similar features

Answer 7

-even though they aren’t related, the organisms may have evolved in similar environments and to fill similar ecological niches e.g a shark and a whale

Question 8

Explain the different features/ characteristics of marsupial mammals and placental mammals

Answer 8

Marsupial mammals (e.g kangaroos):
-have a short gestation period
-don’t develop a full placenta
-are born early in their development and climb into their mothers pouch, here they become attached to a teat and receive milk whilst they continue to develop

Placental mammals (e.g humans)
-have a longer gestation period
-develop a placenta during pregnancy which allows the exchange of nutrients and waste products between the foetus and mother
-are born more fully develop

Question 9

Explain how marsupial and placental moles share similar anatomical features despite evolving independently on different continents. Include their adaptations

Answer 9

-both moles have evolved to live in similar environments
-both types of moles live in the ground in tunnels, they burrow to reach their food supply

They have:
-small eyes as don’t need to see underground
-no external ears to keep streamlined for burrowing
-claws for digging
-tube chawed body and cone shaped head, making it easier to push through sand

Question 10

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 10

-when 2 distantly related organisms end up looking similar to each other because they’re adapting to a similar habitat