The difference between adaptation and natural selection is easy to understand once we learn the meaning of the two concepts:
- Adaptation – Adaptation is a biological mechanism where organisms adapt or adjust to changes in their current environment or in a new environment. The changes can either be behavioural or physical changes.
- Natural Selection – Natural selection is a mechanism for evolution, where organisms change over time as a result of changes in their heritable behavioural or physical traits.
We shall explore more differences between these two concepts in the following table:
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A characteristic that increases the chances of survival. |
A tendency where traits (which are beneficial) increase in frequency in a population. |
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An example of adaptation is the way desert plants have adapted to survive in hot, dry deserts. Plants known as succulents have adjusted to the dry climate by storing water in their thick, short stems and leaves are reduced into spines to reduce water loss. |
The camouflage colour patterns of Biston betularia, the peppered moth, is one of the most famous examples of evolution via natural selection. It is an evolutionary example of colour variation in the mouth population as a result of air pollution that occurred during the Industrial Revolution. The number of dark-coloured variants increased dramatically, an instance of industrial melanism. When air pollution was reduced, the light-colour moths again outnumbered the dark ones. |
Frequently Asked Questions on Adaptation and Natural selection
What is the difference between natural selection and adaptation?
Adaptation is a biological mechanism where organisms adapt or adjust to changes in their current environment or in a new environment. The changes can either be behavioural or physical changes. On the other hand, natural selection is a mechanism for evolution, where organisms change over time as a result of changes in its heritable behavioural or physical traits.
Further Reading:
- Adaptation – Meaning, Plant & Animal Adaptations
- Natural Selection – Darwin’s Theory of Biological Evolution
- Evolution- A Brief Description of Evolution, Theory and Mechanism
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