Question

1. Compare and contrast the concepts of adaptation and exaptation (also sometimes called "preadaptation"). [3-6 sentences total) A. What do both concepts share? (What observations about a feature of an organism would allow you to narrow it down to either an adaptation or an exaptation?) B. What separates these concepts? (What key information would you need to be able to definitively assign a trait to one category vs. the other?) <Hint: think about ancestors/>

Answer 1

Adaptation is a process of change or evolution ( behavioural , anatomical or physiological) that makes an organism better suited for its environment. It is brought about by the process of natural selection. Exaptation occurs when that process of change performs functions other than what evolution had made it for. So exaptation can be considered as a counterpart of adaptation. So adaptations are emerged in an organism for its survival, while that adaptation becomes exaptation when it finds a new function. For example. Features are believed to have developed by the dinosaurs in order to keep their body warm. This feature is an adaptation to survive in cold climate. Later this feature could be used for flight. Thus the trait feathers were preadapted or exapted for the new function -flight

A. Both concepts share a change in organism may it be a behavioral trait, a change in anatomical structure or a physiological process.

B Adaptation is brought about by natural selection for the survival of the organism in its habitat while exaptations are traits which emerged as adaptation but found new uses other than survival.