Final answer:
An adaptation is a heritable characteristic that increases an organism's survival and reproductive success in its environment. Examples include the varied beak shapes of finches and survival tactics like mimicry and camouflage.
Step-by-step explanation:
An adaptation is a heritable trait that increases an organism's chance of survival and reproduction in its specific environment. These traits can be structural, like a snow leopard's thick fur for cold climates, behavioral, like migration patterns in birds, or physiological, such as a camel's ability to conserve water. One famous example of adaptation is seen in the beaks of finches studied by Darwin.
The finch populations had different beak shapes that matched their specific food sources, which is evidence of natural selection at work. Mimicry and camouflage are also adaptations that provide survival advantages to organisms by either resembling other more dangerous organisms or blending into their surroundings.