Final answer:
An adaptation is a heritable trait that aids the survival and reproduction of an organism in its present environment. It is a result of evolution by natural selection, where individuals with favorable traits that help them survive environmental changes have more offspring.
Step-by-step explanation:
An adaptation is a heritable trait that aids the survival and reproduction of an organism in its present environment. It is a result of evolution by natural selection, where individuals with favorable traits that help them survive environmental changes have more offspring.
For example, the webbed feet of a platypus are an adaptation for swimming, while the thick fur of a snow leopard is an adaptation for living in the cold. The fast speed of a cheetah is an adaptation for catching prey.
Adaptations are not constant and can change over time as environments change, causing the characteristics of individuals in a population to track those changes.