Final answer:
Humans mainly adapt to their environment through cultural adaptation and technological advancement, manipulating their surroundings to meet their needs rather than relying on genetic changes over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Unlike other species, we adapt to our environment mainly by cultural adaptation and technological innovation rather than through biological evolution. A heritable trait that aids in the survival and reproduction of an organism in its present environment is called an adaptation. While animals adapt over generations through genetic changes, humans modify their surroundings to better suit their needs, which has led to a rapid increase in our population.
Human adaptations are diverse: we construct various types of housing to protect ourselves from the elements, develop agricultural practices to secure food supply, and create clothing and tools to handle different climates and tasks. This process represents a unique form of adaptation, where the environment is manipulated to fit our requirements, rather than the organism developing new biological traits to suit the environment.
For instance, instead of developing fur like the snow leopard for cold climates, humans create insulated clothing. Instead of developing webbed feet like the platypus for swimming, we build boats and ships. This capability to constructively alter our environment is perhaps the most distinct aspect of human adaptation.