Question

what does the term adaption mean? how does adaption explain the patterns of distribution of plant and animal species in the world?

Answer 1

Adaptation is basically where organisms 'fit' themselves to the environment. This is through processes like natural selection where the most 'fit' organisms survive and pass on their genetics. For example, in the rainforest, there are really large trees that block out light, so plants underneath them die from lack of sunlight. Adaptation explains that some plants have adapted to grow higher on the trees and live off of their sunlight, so that they can survive (these are parasitic plants)

Answer 2

Adaptation occurs when a living organism changes their features and behavior overtime to best fit in its new environment. Thus will cause mutations to occur and eventually build in new genes. New genetics will influences through reproduction and causes new genetics pass to the next generation, changing characteristics and behavior overtime.As how patterns of distribution of plant and animal species in the world, well consider why animals at the cold icy places are colored white (polar bears, white bunnies, white fox, etc.) and why animals such as camels can survive the desert with a long period of time without drinking water. Their offspring lived through these conditions and they had to develop these characteristics for the survival of the fittest.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

@Jennaaaaaa No, organisms do not "fit" themselves to environment. Evolution cannot occur at an organismal level. I also suspect you do not understand what "fit" means. In the biological sense, fit is the measure of an organisms to successfully pass on it genes, to the point that any offspring of this individual need to have a real chance of passing on those genes. If all the offspring of an individual die before passing on the genes, than the parents have a fitness of zero.

Now, back to the adaptation. Adaptation is the end result of natural selection over a period of many generations. This selection tends to purge the individuals with less fitness and so long as the environment does not rapidly change, the end result is a species that is adapted to the environment in which the selection occurred.

Answer 5

@Zale101 Your understanding of evolution is severely lacking. You have completely switched the causes of variation; adapting to the environment does not make increase mutations. Mutations allow differences in fitness, these differences mean he individuals in a species have different fitness. Generally, the individuals with the highest fitness (theoretical fitness) will have the largest contribution to the next generation. Over a long period of time the populations genotypes will change and speciation and the like can occur. This is not always the case because random events can mean that the individuals with the highest fitness do not always reproduce the most. If a earthquake randomly kills 90% of the individuals with the highest fitness and only 1% of the others... You can see where I am going.

Answer 6

Well, i didn't mention the "random events" or animals with the characteristics that prohibits them from surviving on the environment. I know they were important information but I was pretty straightforward regarding the “distributions" of species because that's what's the question was asking for. It asked for “how does adaption explain the patterns of distribution of plant and animal species in the world” and I replied to it. There’s nothing wrong with me and @Jennaaaaaa response. You’re basically stating other information that we didn’t mention. Overall, I really do appreciate your response; it’s more detailed and through than mines.

Answer 7

@mrdoldum Your stating something that has nothing to do with what i wrote. I meant 'fit' as in 'fit in'. I agree with @zale101 there was nothing wrong with we wrote.

Answer 8

@Zale101 @Jennaaaa

The reason you are both wrong is that adaptation causing the current niche diversity has nothing to do with how an organism "fits" in the environment. Even if we use the incorrect definition of "fit" as you do, it doesn't explain how organisms have diversified. Evolution only works when you look across generations.

You used the term "fit," which has a very specific meaning in Biology. Adaptation explains distributions because in the individual members of a species there is a very degree of fitness. In other words, some are more fit than others and this fitness

Now, with this in mind, as organisms spread out across and environment the different individuals will experiences different conditions. This means there are different selection strengths for different variables. Because of mutations and the like result in different fitnesses among an organisms populations, under different selections, over a long period of time these differences result in environment (and more) specialization and/or speciation.