Encyclopedia of Science | Adaptation

• Historical background
• Words to Know
• The Peppered Moth
• Examples of adaptation
• Current approaches to adaptation

Adaptation is a term used to describe the ways in which organisms change over time in response to the changing demands of their environment. Organisms seem to accumulate certain physiological, behavioral, and structural traits gradually, and these traits aid them in their ability to survive and reproduce under existing environmental conditions. The grasping hands of primates, the sensitive antennae of insects, and the flowers and fruits of plants are all forms of adaptation that promote survival, reproduction, or both.

Historical background

Up until the...