Final answer:
An example of an adaptation is b) A bird migrating to a warmer climate, such as Monarch butterflies traveling to warmer regions during winter. Adaptations like migration and dormancy enable organisms to better fit their environment, increase their survival, and are driven by natural selection.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Adaptation
Adaptation is a process by which living organisms become better suited to their environment. In the context of temperature, animals respond with adaptations such as insulation or migration to survive environmental changes. An example of an adaptation is b) A bird migrating to a warmer climate. This behavior is observed in various species, including the Arctic Tern which travels great distances to find suitable breeding grounds, and Monarch butterflies that migrate to escape the cold.
Events such as a flood forming a new lake or a storm causing trees to fall are not adaptations as they do not involve changes in an organism's behavior or physical structure to better suit their environment. Similarly, a plant wilting due to lack of water or a mammal losing its fur in winter do not represent adaptations. Adaptations enhance the reproductive potential and survival of organisms, such as dormancy in plants during the cold or the development of thick fur and fat for insulation in animals like polar bears.
Natural selection is the driving force behind adaptation, leading to changes in traits such as the beak size in Darwin's finches that match the availability of different-sized seeds, enabling them to survive and reproduce in specific habitats. Adaptations are key to the distribution and survival of species across different environments.