Adaptations

Science Challenge

DAY 1

What Is an Adaptation?

Adaptations are characteristics or behaviors that plants and animals develop over many generations to help them survive their environment. 

Adaptations develop because of natural selection! 
Natural selection is the theory that nature favors individual plants or animals that have characteristics that make them more fit for their environment. The more fit animals are often healthier, survive longer, and successfully reproduce, creating offspring that also have that characteristic!  This is the foundation for the theory of evolution. 


Adaptations can be physical or behavioral.  

Physical adaptations are parts of an organism's body or things their bodies do that help them survive.
 An example of this is a giraffe's long neck. Long necks allow them to reach leaves on trees that other animals can't reach!

Behavioral adaptations are things organisms do or ways they act that help them survive. 
An example of this is a nocturnal owl. Over many generations, owls have learned to hunt at night time when there are fewer birds hunting.

Animals adapt for many reasons, such as finding food, competing for resources, avoiding predators, attracting a mate, and so many others. Regardless of the purpose, adaptations make animals better suited for their habitat!

For each animal fact below, identify whether the highlighted adaptations are physical or behavioral!

1

Many birds use aerodynamic wings to  move around their ecosystem or, for some species, migrate thousands of miles!
  • Answer

    Aerodynamic Wings: Physical! 


    Most birds have evolved to have strong wings that allow them to fly.


2

Birds of paradise perform amazing dances to attract a mate using their beautiful feathers.
  • Answer

    Perform amazing dances: Behavioral

    Beautiful feathers: Physical


    Dancing is a behavior performed by birds of paradise to attract a mate. They use the colors of their feathers, which females find attractive, to impress them!


3

Some species of frogs will attract a mate by singing loud songs using an expandable pouch on their throat.
  • Answer

    Singing loud songs: Behavioral

    Expandable pouch on their throat: Physical


    Singing loudly is an action that some frogs will do so females know they are in the area. They use the large pouch on their throat to amplify their sound!


4

Baboons will scare away other males with their massive canine teeth which they show by smiling or yawning.
  • Answer

    Massive canine teeth: Physical

    Smiling or yawning: Behavioral


    Baboons use their long, sharp teeth to scare away rival males. They show those teeth by smiling or yawning.


5

Fish can live underwater because their gills allow them to pull oxygen from the water!
  • Answer

    Gills: Physical


    Fish have gills that can absorb oxygen from the water allowing them to "breathe" underwater!


6

Anteaters have 3-inch long claws on their front feet so they must walk on their knuckles to keep them long and sharp.
  • Answer

    3-inch long claws: Physical

    Walk on their knuckles: Behavioral


    Their long, sharp claws help them dig into termite mounds. To keep them sharp, they must walk in a way that protects them, like on their knuckles!


7

Macaws, which are a type of parrot, have a diet that is mostly fruit and seeds. They eat clay to avoid getting an upset stomach.
  • Answer

    Eat clay: Behavioral


    Eating clay is a behavior or action that macaws perform to help their digestion.


8

Fennec foxes live in a very hot desert. They have fur on the bottom of their feet so they don’t burn their toes on the hot sand.
  • Answer

    Fur on the bottom of their feet: Physical


    The fur on their paw pads help protect their feet from the hot desert sand.


CHALLENGE #1

We, as humans, often forget that we are animals! Like most other animals, we have adaptations to help us survive our environment.


Humans live in nearly every type of climate that exists and we all have characteristics and behaviors that help us survive. Though we may be able to adjust our thermostat when we're cold or buy our food at the store when we're hungry, there are things about us that have adapted to help us survive!


Can you identify two adaptations that humans have? Identify the adaptations and describe why these adaptations would be helpful to humans!

Challenge #1
group of hands together

DAY 2

Collecting and Competing for Food

One thing that all animals have in common is that we need to eat! 

Not only do animals have to find their food, they often have to compete with other species for that food. 

Herbivores, or plant-eating animals, have to compete with other herbivores and find food that hasn't already been grazed. This could mean moving to new areas or adapting to eat plants that other species cannot. 

Carnivores, or meat-eating animals, must find and then capture their food before another, more fit carnivore can do so. 

Omnivores, meaning animals who eat both plants and animals, sometimes have more options on the menu but still have to work and compete to get it!

Once they find their food and win the competition, they also need to be able to properly digest it. Elephants need big, flat teeth to help them grind down leaves and twigs. Tigers need sharp, strong teeth to rip apart food. Eagles need powerful beaks to open the thick hide of their prey. 

Most animals rely on a wide variety of adaptations to help them get all the nutrients they need. Without these adaptations, they would likely starve!

How and Why I Get to Eat

For each species below, can you name an adaptation they have that allow them to find and collect enough food to survive?


Click the drop-down arrow to see what major adaptations scientists have discovered!

group of pelicans swimming together looking for fish
  • 1. Pelican

    Throat pouch!


    Also known as the gular pouch, this pouch expands and lets them pick up gallons of water and loads of fish.

whale shark swimming through the open ocean
  • 2. Whale Shark

    Huge mouth


    Whale sharks have huge mouths that can suck up tons of krill and plankton while they swim.

parrots hanging out with their large hooked bills
  • 3. Parrot

    Sharp, pointed beak


    Parrots have beaks that are perfectly designed for cracking open hard nuts and seeds.

tarantula climbing on bark on the trunk of a tree
  • 4. Tarantula

    Fangs


    Tarantulas have large fangs that inject venom into their prey.

elephant reaching up into the trees with its trunk for food
  • 5. Elephant

    Trunk and teeth


    Elephants use their long trunks to reach tall branches and large, flat molars that help grind up vegetation.

hummingbird with yellow pollen on its bill hovering and drinking nectar from a blue flower
  • 6. Hummingbird

    Long, thin bill


    Hummingbirds drink nectar. A long, thin bill allows them to reach deep into flowers!

Challenge #2

All animals require food to stay alive; that is how we gain energy. Some animals have diets that are high in energy, like a tiger, and other animals have a diet that is low in energy, like a panda. Many times, an animal's behavior has a lot to do with the food they're eating!


But it is not as simple as it seems. Animals must be able to collect and eat their food, meaning they must have the right teeth structure, the right plants or animals on the menu, and the ability to get the food before another animal does. 


Today, pick a species that is native to your area and think about what they eat. Is the species you selected an herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore? Identify two adaptations that help them be successful in finding and consuming their diet!

Challenge #2

DAY 3

Avoiding Predators

Not only do most animals have to worry about finding food, but they also have to worry about not becoming food. From fish to rabbits to snakes, most animals have a menu and are on one. Predators are animals that eat other animals, while prey animals are the ones being eaten! The more well-adapted a prey species is to avoiding or deterring predators, the more successful they are!


Here are some common ways animals avoid predations, though there are many other ways animals have adapted to stay off the menu.

arctic fox with summer coat camouflaged on rocks

Camouflage

Many animals have colors and patterns that help them blend into their environment, making it harder for predators to see them.
blue dart frog

Toxicity

It helps to be a poisonous or venomous animal when it comes to avoiding predators. Toxic animals are often brightly colored as a warning.

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snake with red, white, and black stripes

Mimicry

Some non-toxic animals have bright colors just like toxic animals! This is thought to be an adaptation to trick predators into avoiding them.

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large herd of wildebeest migrating across the grassland

Large Groups

There is safety in numbers, so many animals will live in large groups. This helps them better detect danger and makes it less likely each individual will get eaten.

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Not on the Menu

In the predator-prey relationships below, the prey species have adapted to avoid their predator at all cost.

Identify which of the four adaptations from above they use. There could be more than one answer!

Predator

Prey

Adaptation of Prey Species

1. Lions eat zebras

  • Adaptation

    Camouflage and large groups!

2. Hawks eat rattlesnakes

  • Adaptation

    Camouflage and toxins


    And rattlesnakes will use sound !They will shake their tail to let predators know they are there and not to be messed with.

3. Wolves eat deer

  • Adaptation

    Large groups and camouflage

4. Snakes eat mice

  • Adaptation

    Camouflage

5. Birds eat scorpions

  • Adaptation

    Toxicity and camouflage

Challenge #3

Herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores all go through their own challenges to both obtain food and not become food. To escape predation, some species use camouflage, some use a warning (whether they mean it or not), some use speed, and some make it up as they go. Being able to avoid predators is a crucial skill that animals must have to stay alive.

Every ecosystem has a food web, even the one in your neighborhood! Identify one animal in your neighborhood. Are they a predator species, a prey species, or both? Describe two adaptations that help them avoid predators and stay off the menu.
Challenge #3

DAY 4

Adapting to the Climate

Animals also need to adapt to the climate of their ecosystem. In some regions, it gets freezing in the winter, and in others, gets extremely hot in the summer. Animals have evolved to survive their climates, even in the most extreme environments, using both physical and behavioral adaptations. Some animals will dramatically change their behavior during the months with extreme conditions, while others have physical adaptations that allow them to continue with their normal behaviors!

1

Hibernation

This is a long period of inactivity in endothermic, or warm-blooded, animals where their metabolism slows during the cold months when food is less available.

2

Brumation

Like hibernation, brumation is a state of inactivity during the winter months except brumation occurs in ectothermic, or cold-blooded, animals.

3

Aestivation

Aestivation is also a prolonged state of inactivity but occurs during the summer and is seen in both endotherms and ectotherms.

4

Physical Features

Many animals have body parts that help them survive their climate, as well. Large ears, being light-colored, and having fur on the bottom of their feet help many animals in hot climates. In cool climates, animals may have more blubber, thick fur, or dark-colored fur to absorb heat.

Climate Challenges

Each animal below lives where conditions in the winter are harsh, so they become inactive until spring when conditions are better! Using the information you just learned, identify if each animal hibernates or if they brumate!

diamondback rattlesnake getting ready to strike
  • 1. Diamondback Rattlesnake

    Brumation


    Rattlesnakes are reptiles; they will spend the cold months deep in a burrow.

black bear standing on a pathway
  • 2. Black Bear

    Hibernation


    Black bears are warm-blooded mammals. They will often sleep in dens for most of the winter when food is scarce and the weather is extreme.

turtle with head tucked into shell
  • 3. Spotted Turtle

    Brumation


    Spotted turtles usually bury themselves in the mud near shore during the freezing winter months!

groundhog hiding in green vegetation
  • 4. Groundhog

    Hibernation


    Groundhogs are warm-blooded mammals that sleep in burrows for the harsh winter months. They will sometimes even build a separate hibernation den!

alligator floating near the surface of water
  • 5. Alligator

    Brumation


    Alligators are ectotherms. During the winter, they will often stay in the water with their nose exposed in a state of inactivity. 

bat hanging from a tree branch
  • 6. Bat

    Hibernation


    Bats are mammals and struggle to stay alive when temperatures drop. While some species migrate to warmer areas, others will hibernate in caves or protected structure.

Challenge #4

Depending on where an animal lives, they likely have to face a climate that changes throughout the year with the seasons. It has taken many, many generations for those animals to develop physical and behavioral characteristics that help them thrive in their climate. But what would happen if the climate changed too rapidly? What if there wasn't enough time for species to adapt to their ecosystem?  

Things we do every day add harmful emissions to our atmosphere that can change the global climate! The Earth is surrounded by the atmosphere, which is a thin layer of gases that helps keep the Earth at the right temperature, like a greenhouse! However, the more of these gases that are up there, the more heat gets trapped near the Earth. These gases are added to the atmosphere by humans every time we turn on a light, watch TV, or do anything that uses electricity. Creating electricity releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, as does driving cars and flying planes! The more gases we produce, the quicker the climate will change.

Click on "The Greenhouse Effect" below to watch a short video and explore how these emissions are impacting our planet!
Watch!

For challenge #4, choose one option.


1. Pick one animal that lives in your area. Identify one adaptation that helps them survive in your climate and predict one issue they would face if your climate were to increase too quickly.


2. Identify three things you do every day that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and one thing you can change to reduce your emissions!

DAY 5

Attract a Mate

One of the most important things an animal can do is find a mate and produce offspring. There is nothing that matters more for the livelihood of a species than creating the next generations, but this is not always so easy.


For most species, the males are the ones putting in the work to attract a mate, and no animal group takes it quite as far as birds. From singing and dancing to presenting elaborate gifts, the animal kingdom has developed some very unique ways to flirt. Some species have to work year after year to find a mate, while others have the luxury of having a mate for life.


Check out these amazing and unusual physical and behavioral adaptations that these species use to find a mate!

Why I Am the Way I Am

Now we know animals evolve for a whole bunch of reasons! To find or collect food, avoid predators, survive their climate, attract a mate, or whatever the reason may be, plants and animals are constantly developing adaptations to help them succeed. For each adaptation below, why do you think these animals have developed these characteristics or behaviors?
zebra herd drinking from a watering hole
  • 1. Zebra Stripes

    Avoid predators


    Zebras have stripes that help them blend into each other and make it harder for a predator to pick out one animal.

group of arabian oryx standing on desert sand
  • 2. Light-Colored Fur

    Survive their climate


    Having light-colored fur in the desert is very helpful at repelling heat and keeping animals cool!

giant anteater investigating a log for bugs
  • 3. Anteater Tongue

    Find and collect food


    Anteaters have a tongue that is 24-inches long and covered in sticky saliva that helps them slurp up nearly 30,000  ants and termites every day.

large school of fish also known as a bait ball
  • 4. Fish Swim in Schools

    Avoid predators


    Many types of fish will swim in schools. Remember, there is safety in numbers!

albatross performing mating dance with beaks touching
  • 5. Albatross Dancing

    Attract a mate


    Though they mate for life, each year, some albatrosses will perform amazing dances to strengthen their bond.

harris's hawk hunting with talons extended
  • 6. Hawk Talons

    Find and collect food!


    Hawks use their talons to catch small animals.

large jellyfish with long tenticles
  • 7. Jellyfish Stinging Tentacles

    Avoid predators AND collect food!


    The stinging cells on jellyfish help them to stun and capture prey but also serve as defense if they are becoming prey themselves.

chameleon tongue getting ready to shoot out
  • 8. Chameleon Tongue

    Find and collect food 


    Chameleons have long, sticky tongues that can shoot from their mouth to grab insects.

Challenge #5

Animals develop adaptations for so many different reasons, even more than we covered in this lesson! To figure out what kind of adaptations animals have, think about their environment and their behaviors. How do the different body parts or behaviors help that animal survive in their specific environment? How does the environment impact how they must behave?

For your final challenge, select your favorite animal and identify three adaptations they have and how they help that animal survive. 

Now, change their environment; place that species in the desert, rainforest, or tundra. Would these three adaptations still be helpful? Why or why not?
Challenge #5

Glossary

Adaptation

The process by which a species becomes more fit for its environment over the course of several generations. It is a result of natural selection.

Aestivation

A prolonged state of inactivity in both ectotherms and endotherms that occurs during the summer.

Behavioral Adaptation

 Things organisms do or ways they act that help them survive.

Brumate

A state of inactivity in ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) during the winter months.

Camouflage

The ability for an organism to blend into their surroundings usually to hide from prey or predators.

Carnivore

An animal that eats other animals.

Climate

Weather conditions in a region over a long period of time.

Ectotherm

An animal that relies on the external temperature to regulate their body temperature (reptiles and amphibians). Also known as cold-blooded.

Endotherm

An animal that regulates their body temperature internally (mammals and birds). Also known as warm-blooded.

Evolution

The theory that heritable characteristics of a species change over generations to help that species better survive their environment.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in the atmosphere that trap heat from the sun close to the Earth.

Herbivore

An animal that eats mostly plants.

Hibernation

An extended state of decreased activity and metabolic rate in endothermic (warm-blooded) animals during winter seasons.

Mimicry

Occurs when two species that are not closely related look similar.

Natural Selection

The theory that nature favors individuals within a species who have characteristics that make them more successful in their environment.

Omnivore

An animal that eats both plants and animals.

Predator

An animal that hunts other animals for food.

Prey

An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.

Physical Adaptations

Body parts or other physical parts of a plant or animal that help them survive

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