Final answer:
An adaptation is a heritable trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment, evolving through natural selection. Examples include the webbed feet of platypuses for swimming and the thick fur of snow leopards for cold climates. Adaptations are dynamic and change with the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
An adaptation is a heritable trait or behavior in an organism that aids in its survival and reproduction in its present environment. This genetically based trait evolves because it provides an advantage for the organism to survive and reproduce within a specific ecological niche. Adaptations are the result of evolution by natural selection, where traits that enhance survival and reproductive success become more common in the population over time.
For example, the webbed feet of a platypus are an adaptation for swimming, just as the thick fur of a snow leopard is an adaptation for living in the cold. Similarly, a cheetah's remarkable speed is an adaptation that allows it to catch prey effectively. These traits increase the chances of survival and successful reproduction, ensuring that such adaptations are passed down through generations.
Adaptations are dynamic; as environments change, natural selection prompts the characteristics of the individuals in a population to track those changes, maintaining or improving their match with the environment.