Animal Adaptations
Title: Crazy Critters
Source: Downey, Fran, and Peter Winkler.
"Crazy critters." National Geographic Explorer Jan.-Feb. 2007:
8+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2012
Summary: In
nature there are all kinds of different animals with weird and crazy
adaptations. An adaptation is any structural, physiological, or behavioral
process gained over time that helps that organism better survive in their
environment. Some animals like the chameleon have adaptations to help them eat.
The chameleon has developed a very long tongue which helps them catch flies as
food. Other organisms have special coloring that can warn off enemies. The
African zorilla is all black with a white stripe down its back. That is meant
to warn off other animals. The zorilla also releases a terrible smell when in
trouble to help save its self. Pangolins has developed sharp scales all over
its body and has learned to curl into a ball when predators come near that way
they can not ne eaten. Adaptations help all organisms’ live better lives in
many different ways.
Opinion: I thought this article was very
interesting just to hear about all the different adaptations animals have. I
never knew that chameleons had really long tongues or that there are lizards
out there with three eyes. I also thought it was a great article because it
really ties into what we are learning in class. It just gives more examples of
the different types of adaptations.
Picture 1: This is a picture of a
chameleon using one of its adaptations, a long tongue, to catch its food.
Picture 2: This is a picture of a zorilla and its unique coloring that
warns off enemies.
Questions:
1. Why do you think the chameleon
developed such a long tongue?
2. Can you classify one of the examples
given in the article as structural, behavioral, or physiological adaptations?
3. Can you give another example of an
animal with a unique adaptation?
4. Why do you think an animal would have
to make an adaptation?
I think that this article is really interesting because these animals are really changing to fit perfectly into their environment. How funny would it be if humans could adapt like that. If we could have three eyes or super long tongues. Instead of adapting we invent things to make us stronger. When people have bad eyesight they wear glasses or if they have bad hearing then they wear a hearing aid. So I guess it's better this way that way everyone can survive in the world
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: The chameleons long tongue is a structural adaptation because it is a physical change to make it easier for the to catch food.
I totally understand what you're saying Emily. I remember last semester though, one of my teacher and the class were talking about how we can water down genes or how we can try to totally destroy them. If someone did have bad eyesight they could mate with someone who had 20/20 to "water down" the gene of bad eyesight. The child would mostly likely still have trouble seeing but not as bad as one parent and not as great as the other. Basically in the middle. Now to try and destroy a gene, the person would not mate, and by doing that, the bad vision gene would not get passed on thus being totally eliminated by that one person who could have mated which I thought was really interesting.
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ReplyDeleteI chose question four: Animals have to make adaptions to survive in their environment. The adaptions will then help the species over time reproduce the "good" gene so it can live and survive in that environment. Adaptions help the process of 'Survival of the Fittest' which is what were learning in class right now.
ReplyDeleteQuestion three: In class we talked about the peppered moth which adaption was based on its coloring. The moths changed color over time due to human impact - pollution. Pollution leads into question four which is why animals adapt. Most of the time, animals change due to natural selection, or survival of the fittest. The moths began to trend towards having a darker color so they could blend in better with their environment, not get eaten and therefore reproduce. Although many adaptions may seem peculiar it is key for the animals survival. This ties in very well with what we are learing in class now and it also has a lot to do with what you learn in biology as well.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: In the article, it listed examples of different adaptations. One was a Pangolin. With sharp scales all over its body, over time is has learned to curl into a ball when predators come near, in order to prevent itself from being eaten. This type of adaptation is considered behavioral. Behavioral adaptation involves the activity of an organism in two types: instinctive and reflexive. The example of the Pangolin making an effort to protect itself, was showing instinctive behavioral adaptation.
ReplyDelete