Remember…Natural Selection is the theory of evolution that states…

“Organisms best suited for the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.”

What makes an organism “best suited” for their environment?

ADAPTATIONS

TRAITS

• WHAT IS A TRAIT?

• WHAT ARE SOME TRAITS HUMANS HAVE?

. . . a characteristic

WHAT TRAITS HELP THIS GIRAFFE

SURVIVE?

What do animals NEED to survive??

• FOOD

• WATER

• OXYGEN

What does a SPECIES need to survive?

• need to 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

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

Camouflage coloring, long skinny legs, able to spin a web, and sticky feet.

What are some adaptations a WOODPECKER

has?

•Long, sturdy beak•Sharp claws•Sticky tongue•Tail•Builds a nest

What are some adaptations a PENGUIN has?

Fur, Webbed feet, sturdy beak, able to swim, holding breath, blubber, and coloring.

There are two TYPES of adaptations…

• Affects the way an organism looks (body parts) or the way it is colored.

• Inherited, instinctive traits an organism does to survive.

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

flowers.”

What are examples of Behavioral Adaptations?

What is this scorpion doing?

I keep my kids with me so no other animals will eat them!

What am I doing to protect

myself from enemies?

How do I survive the cold winters in the US and

Canada?

The Ability to Learnis 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: Dogs have the behavioral adaptation of having “the ability to learn new tricks”.

But a dog sitting & rolling over when asked is learned, not inherited. So, they cannot pass it on to their puppies.

What structural adaptations does this KANGAROO

have?

What structural adaptations do BEAVERS have?

•Webbed feet•Flat tail•Large teeth

What structural adaptations do OPOSSUMS have?

Colors are structural adaptations, too…

• Colors can:– Scare off enemies– Camouflage animals– Warn a predator that its poisonous

THREE TYPES:• PROTECTIVE Coloration

• WARNING Coloration

• MIMICRY

Animals with PROTECTIVE Coloration

Can you spot us?

Camouflaging/ blending into the environment to protect itself.

Animals with WARNING Coloration

I’M WARNING YOU! I DON’T TASTE GOOD!

Bright coloring used to warn predators of being poisonous.

Animals that use MIMICRY

What is mimicry?

Am I a butterfly or an owl?

. . . imitating another organism

Which snake is the venomous Eastern Coral snake?

WHY AM I SO

CLEVER?

Quick Review

• What are adaptations?• What is the difference between structural &

behavioral adaptations?• What is mimicry?• What is warning coloration?• How do animals that use warning

coloration differ from animals that

use mimicry?