ADAPTATIONS

WHAT IS A TRAIT? WHAT ARE SOME TRAITS WE HAVE? WHY? WHAT ARE SOME TRAITS PLANTS HAVE? WHY?... a characteristic

Populations in a particular environment that are better adapted to living conditions there, and therefore are able to meet their survival needs, are more likely to survive and reproduce offspring with those traits. There are variations among species of similar populations. Organisms of a species differ from one another in many of their traits.

WHAT TRAITS HELP THIS GIRAFFE SURVIVE?

What do animals NEED to survive? FOOD WATER OXYGEN

What do plants NEED to survive? SUNLIGHT WATER CARBON DIOXIDE OXYGEN MINERALS

PLANTSANIMALS need to reproduce need to avoid being eaten must be pollinated, and seeds must send out roots & grow need to attract a male & reproduce need to avoid being eaten need to care for and protect their young

What are ADAPTATIONS? Traits that help organisms meet their basic needs & survive in their surroundings

Natural selection is the process that explains this survival and shows how species can change over time. For example, certain traits or adaptations involving color, camouflage, food gathering (beaks, claws) and other physical traits, sensory abilities, or behaviors enhance the survival of a species.

What adaptations does a SPIDER have to help him meet his needs?

What are some adaptations a WOODPECKER has? Long, sturdy beak Sharp claws Sticky tongue Tail Builds a nest DOES A TREE HAVE ADAPTATIONS TOO?

What are some adaptations a PENGUIN has?

What is a STRUCTURAL ADAPTATION? Adaptations that affect an organism ’ s body parts or the way it is colored physical traitsThese are physical traits that help an organism survive in its environment. What structural adaptation does this KANGAROO have?

What structural adaptations do BEAVERS have? Webbed feet Flat tail Large teeth

What structural adaptations do OPOSSUMS have?

Why would plants need structural adaptations?

1. To help attract pollinators 2. Capture sunlight 3. Disperse seeds

Colors are structural adaptations, too… Colors can: – scare off enemies – camouflage animals – attract mates –Warn a predator that “you” are poisonous

THREE TYPES: PROTECTIVE Coloration WARNING Coloration MIMICRY

Animals with PROTECTIVE Coloration Can you spot us?

Animals with WARNING Coloration I’M WARNING YOU! I DON’T TASTE GOOD!

Animals that use MIMICRY What is mimicry? THIS MOTH CATERPILLAR DEFENDS ITSELF BY MIMICKING A SNAKE... imitating another organism

Can you tell which snake is the venomous eastern coral snake? WHY AM I SO CLEVER?

The one on the left is just a FLY and not a bee at all! It is just a mimic and it is hoping that it tricked you. Because after all, you probably wouldn't be scared of a little old fly!

TWIG?

How am I using mimicry to protect myself from predators?

Katydids camouflage to a wide variety of environments. Can you find the katydid in each picture?

How can colors be helpful or harmful to animals?

How do animals that use warning coloration differ from animals that use mimicry? In what ways might bright colors increase danger for animals?

What is a Behavioral Adaptation? It’s an instinct It’s an inherited behavior that helps an organism survive Things organisms do to survive like... –Building a nest –Spinning a web

What is this scorpion doing? I keep my kids with me so no other animals will eat them!

“I do a dance to tell my friends where to find the nectar-rich flowers.”

Why am I “PLAYING POSSUM?”

What am I doing to protect myself from enemies? How do I survive the cold winters in the US and Canada?

Quick Review What are the needs of plants & animals? What are adaptations? What is the difference between structural & behavioral adaptations? What is mimicry? What is warning coloration? Give an example of an animal that adapts to the environment using one type of these adaptations.

The Ability to Learn is a behavioral adaptation, too... Your ability to learn is an inherited behavior… your parents passed it on to you. What you actually learn is not inherited Example: Teaching a dog to sit up & roll over… The dog did not inherit the knowledge & cannot pass it on to its puppies. Can you think of another example?

What is the difference between… Behavioral Adaptations & Learned Behaviors INSTINCTIVE INHERITED PASSED ON TO OFFSPRING NOT INHERITED CAN’T PASS THEM ON

/animal/dirtform.asp Adaptations Webquest