exaptation

[ eg-zap-tey-shuhn, ek-sap- ]

noun

, Biology.

1. a process in which a feature acquires a function that was not acquired through natural selection.
2. a feature having a function for which it was not originally adapted or selected.
3. a morphological or physiological feature that predisposes an organism to adapt to a different environment or lifestyle.
4. predisposition toward adaptation.

Other Words From

• ex·apted adjective
• ex·ap·tive [eg-, zap, -tiv, ig-, ek-, sap, -], adjective