adaptation

[ ad-uhp-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of adapting.
2. the state of being adapted; adjustment.
3. something produced by adapting:

   an adaptation of a play for television.

4. Biology.
   1. any alteration in the structure or function of an organism or any of its parts that results from natural selection and by which the organism becomes better fitted to survive and multiply in its environment.
   2. a form or structure modified to fit a changed environment.
   3. the ability of a species to survive in a particular ecological niche, especially because of alterations of form or behavior brought about through natural selection.
5. Physiology. the decrease in response of sensory receptor organs, as those of vision, touch, temperature, olfaction, audition, and pain, to changed, constantly applied, environmental conditions.
6. Ophthalmology. the regulating by the pupil of the quantity of light entering the eye.
7. Also a·dap·tion [] Sociology. a slow, usually unconscious modification of individual and social activity in adjustment to cultural surroundings.

adaptation

/ ˌædəpˈteɪʃən; ˌædæp- /

noun

1. the act or process of adapting or the state of being adapted; adjustment
2. something that is produced by adapting something else
3. something that is changed or modified to suit new conditions or needs
4. biology an inherited or acquired modification in organisms that makes them better suited to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
5. physiol the decreased response of a sense organ to a repeated or sustained stimulus
6. psychol (in learning theory) the weakening of a response to a stimulus with repeated presentation of the stimulus without reinforcement; applied mainly to innate responses
7. social welfare alteration to a dwelling to make it suitable for a disabled person, as by replacing steps with ramps

adaptation

/ ăd′ăp-tā′shən /

1. A change in structure, function, or behavior by which a species or individual improves its chance of survival in a specific environment. Adaptations develop as the result of natural selection operating on random genetic variations that are capable of being passed from one generation to the next. Variations that prove advantageous will tend to spread throughout the population.

adaptation

1. The changes made by living systems in response to their environment. Heavy fur, for example, is one adaptation to a cold climate .

Other Words From

• adap·tation·al adjective
• adap·tation·al·ly adverb
• counter·adap·tation noun
• inter·a·daption noun
• misad·ap·tation noun
• nonad·ap·tation noun
• nonad·ap·tation·al adjective
• read·ap·tation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of adaptation¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Medieval Latin adaptātiōn-, stem of adaptātiō, from Latin adaptāt(us) “fit, adjusted” + -iō noun suffix; adapt, -ion

A Closer Look

The gazelle is extremely fast, and the cheetah is even faster. These traits are adaptations —characteristics or behaviors that give an organism an edge in the struggle for survival. Darwinian theory holds that adaptations are the result of a two-stage process: random variation and natural selection. Random variation results from slight genetic differences. For example, one cheetah in a group may be slightly faster than the others and thus have a better chance of catching a gazelle. The faster cheetah therefore has a better chance of being well-fed and living long enough to produce offspring. Since the cheetah's young have the same genes that made this parent fast, they are more likely to be fast than the young of slower cheetahs. The process is repeated in each generation, and thereby great speed becomes an adaptation common to cheetahs. This same process of natural selection, in which the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generations while those less adapted tend to be eliminated, also favors the fastest gazelles. Though evolution, in this case, may be thought of as an “arms race,” animals may also adapt to their environment in a process known as adaptive radiation , as the so-called Darwin's finches in the Galápagos have done. On the islands, one type of finch gradually gave rise to some 13 different species of birds with differently shaped beaks, each species having adapted to its varying food niches and feeding habits. And, though we seldom think of it, humans also have an impact on an organism's adaptation to its environment. For instance, because of the misuse of antibiotics, some disease-causing bacteria have rapidly adapted to become resistant to the drugs.

Example Sentences

Researchers were able to uncover traces of natural selection -- signs of genetic adaptation to environmental pressures -- that are undetectable in the DNA of modern Europeans.

From Science Daily

In this way, we encourage civic engagement and make climate adaptation both tangible and motivating.

From Science Daily

Researchers warn that this gap could directly impact Australia's humanitarian response by challenging the effectiveness of its economic aid, peacebuilding, and climate adaptation efforts.

From Science Daily

As a fan of Greta, there are rumors that you are slated to work with her in her adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

From Los Angeles Times

"We are clearly challenging coral’s natural capacity for adaptation."

From Salon

Related Words

• reworking
• transformation
• variation