1. Diversity and Adaptations

2. Adaptations
A characteristic, structure or behavior that helps an organism live.
Examples:

3. We can separate adaptations into two categories:
Physical
Behavioral

4. Physical adaptations help an animal survive in its environment.
are body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
Hey! I’m a walking stick. I look just like a stick you’d find on the ground.
Physical adaptations help an animal survive in its environment.
© A. Weinberg

5. Behavioral Adaptations…
Now let’s learn about
Behavioral Adaptations…
Behavioral Adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs.

6. Adaptations help organisms:
Get food
Protect themselves
Move
Reproduce
Carry on the life processes

7. Activity
Observe your hand. Notice the relationship of your thumb to the rest of your fingers. Note your thumb can move in a number of directions and angles.
Work with a partner. Perform the list of activities as you normally would paying attention to your thumb involvement. Record “thumb involvement”

8. PART 2
Tape your thumb to your palm and perform the same list of tasks. Don’t tape so tightly to cut off circulation!
Pay attention to any differences in performance.

9. Analysis Which tasks required least “thumb involvement”? Most?
Any correlation between thumb use and fine or gross motor skills?

10. Many scientists believe the opposable thumb has helped humans adapt to their environment and survive.
What are ways in which the use of the thumb enables humans to better survive in their environment?

11. Terms to Know Habitat: Population: Diversity:
An area or place where an organism lives
Habitats include:
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Population:
A group of the same species that live in a particular area
Diversity:
The variety of life in a habitat

12. Terms to Know (cont.) Variation: Species: Evolution:
Differences between individuals within a species
Species:
Organisms that look similar and can interbreed
Evolution:
The process in which organisms change over time

13. Charles Darwin
The famous explorer

14. H.M.S. Beagle
One of the most important voyages in history!

15. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
The Galapagos are an archipelago of several volcanic islands located in the Pacific Ocean, about 650 miles west of Ecuador.
The Blue-footed Boobie

16. Giant Tortoises
The giant tortoise is probably the best known of all Galapagos animals and even gave the archipelago its name; 'Galapago' means tortoise in Spanish.

17. Finches
14 different species

18. What is Natural Selection ?
Organisms that best adapt to a changing environment will survive.
Survival of the Fittest!
Examples from the Galapagos Islands

19. Table Chat
Darwin refers to both Natural Selection and Artificial Selection.
What is the difference between the two?
Give an example of each

20. Selective Breeding- what Darwin calls “Artificial” Selection -mating organisms to get the desired traits Examples:

21. Worksheets
Bird Adaptations
Squirrels of the Grand Canyon

22. Why are some animals able to survive to adulthood and others are not?