biology knows many cases when accidentally broke away from the main population group may be a few centuries to form a whole new look.Sometimes it happens that at the same time in the same area continue to live specimens of the parent species.
Nnemalo also examples where species have to live in a constantly changing environment.Often, a "change" means permanent impairment of a vital signs.If outside this range view more often simply dying out.
Background survival
scientists concluded that the species has a chance of survival only if will actively change, adapting to rapidly changing conditions.This phenomenon is called phyletic speciation.In this case, it is formed not only the fitness of organisms to the environment, but also to develop completely new signs for living beings.
on our planet by now there are millions of species.Is not this evidence of the power of life, its constant variability ?!Unfortunately, a few million years ago, living creatures were much larger.Several ice ages and constant upheavals of climate led to the fact that the diversity of species has declined sharply.Only the most adaptable survive.
Important examples of adaptations
ingenious line of living beings and their functions for centuries to attract the attention of people: the attempt to create a glider with a wing in the form of a bird, the construction of ships with contours resembling a body of saltwater fish.But far more striking the perfect, harmonious match the appearance of plants and animals with the environment of their natural habitat.
Of course, the examples is endless.Therefore in this article it is possible to tell only some beings whose traits of adaptability to the environment is most clearly and explicitly demonstrate the correctness of Darwin.
Birds
So, man has long known the importance of protective coloration for birds and their chicks and eggs in particular.At the capercaillie, black grouse and partridges (nesting open) shell eggs almost perfectly blends with the background of the surrounding countryside.In general, the back of the female is also indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape when viewed from the side.More interesting is the fact that females and eggs of birds that nest in hollows and other hidden places, often have a very bright color (the same parrots, for example).
Insects
And what are the features of adaptation to the environment have insect?Well, they are more numerous than all the members of this class.We think that everyone knows a striking resemblance stick insects with dry twigs.Some research in this area is still used by the military in the area of "forest" white obscurant costumes.
However, many bodies of caterpillars are very similar to branches, and the wings of butterflies can get behind the leaves of the trees of the place where they live.It should be noted that in this case there is a harmonious blend of the body shape and patronizing patronizing the same color.Some butterflies when they merge with the surrounding terrain, difficult to distinguish from the leaves, even at close range.If you more or less know the biology, the well imagine all the diversity of the class of insects.Once in the forest or field, you see no more than 2-3% of their total number.The rest is simply masked.
But!Do not assume that the examples of the adaptation of organisms confined to a banal disguise.Think of the adaptive color when brightly colored, "colorful" insects just did not popular with predators, since they are well aware of their sharply negative edibility.For example, bird or a sparrow, a couple of times in his youth trying to bite bedbug-soldier, until the end of their life remember the acrid, poisonous taste.
In addition, features of adaptation of organisms to the environment include and mimicry.This phenomenon is reminiscent of protective coloration, but "on the contrary".For example, some defenseless and edible species may be perfectly imitate those insects that are poisonous or have a disgusting taste.For example, osovidnye flies much like wasps, which are afraid of even many birds.All this suggests that the adaptation of organisms to their environment is just the same adaptive, adaptive in nature.
higher mammals
All of this can be seen on the example of the higher mammals.Painting zebras seems brighter and even more ridiculous, that's just it perfectly follows the alternation of light and shadow in a thicket of grass, allowing these animals perfect disguise in the savannah.Eyewitnesses confirm that untrained people sometimes do not even notice the zebras in the open country, from a distance of 50-70 m.
Other features
Some creatures are even more surprising and effective adaptation to the organismic environment.These are the chameleons and flounder that can change the color of the body, producing a redistribution of organic pigments in the chromatophores of the skin.Do not forget that the protective coloration, and other protective factors dramatically improve its effectiveness subject to appropriate behavior.These include reflex fading decision resting posture that is characteristic of the huge number of animal species.
Where did this ability of living creatures?
Generally, where there was adaptation of organisms to the environment?In general, in the previous section we have already felt the great Darwin: if an animal or plant can survive a sharp change of climate or other conditions, it is the children will be most common.Thus, the main cause of the living beings of some new devices is just natural selection.Let's show this with the practical example discussed family life grouse that live in the lower forest canopy.
avilable
Let us remember the main features of the external structure of the bird beak is short, does not interfere with peck feed directly from the forest floor (including with snow);on the feet - thick fringed substrate, with which they can safely walk, even in deep snow.The structural features of the pen allow them to spend the night with her head buried in the snow, and short, broad wings make grouse few of the birds, which is available straight, almost vertical takeoff.
It is logical to assume that their ancestors such devices were not in sight.Most likely, after a number of changes in some environmental factors (corny colder), they were forced to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, including cold.
process changes continuously
there were new mutations occurred in the crossing of their various combinations, and the wave number of the population made more heterogeneous and stable.Not surprisingly, the birds are different from each other by a number of symptoms: on the fingers of someone were fimbriae have any special shortened beak and wings.
What expressing fitness of organisms to the environment?The fact that in the course of intra-constant struggle to survive only those birds, the parameters of the structure are most consistent with the surrounding world.In the selection process once they leave more offspring, and it just survived the most frequently and in an amount sufficient to form a new population.The new generation brings new mutations and the process is repeated from the beginning.
Securing useful traits and qualities
among certain mutations are those that reinforce and fixed display of signs that appeared earlier.Naturally, the birds in which these changes were manifested, were substantially more likely to not only survive, but also to later offspring.For generations, all these signs are accumulated and fixed until those black grouse, which we now know.
contradicts the theory of Lamarck
It is known that Darwin's theory is fundamentally different from the assumption that was made by Jean Baptiste Lamarck.Last saying that all living organisms are subject to change under the influence of the environment, but only in the direction that is extremely useful for them.But this is absurd: what is the effect could contribute to the spines hedgehogs?
only the impact of natural selection can explain the origin of such a useful device.It is expected that a very distant ancestors could survive ezhinyh, covered more ogrubevayuschim scalp.Staying in the same living and produce offspring and get the benefits of those "protoezhey" fortunate to have the most long and hard spines.
Other "thorny" examples
In exactly the same way gone "bristly hedgehogs" from Madagascar.These are the streaked and a few kinds of Thistle mice and hamsters.
Does the fitness of organisms to the environment at least some common features?Scientists suggest that the mechanism of this kind of devices is common in all cases: the fact that they appear not once, not for one or two generations.On the contrary, their appearance - a process long and complicated.Never forget that on the evolutionary path is full of dead end and failure of "technical solutions" nature.This we will now discuss.
Relativity fitness
Prior to Darwin's adaptation of animals to the environment served as a unanimous proof of the existence of God and the wisdom of the Creator's immense: how could nature without such "leadership" self-organize around the world is so sensible, balanced way !?
prevailed opinion that every feature of whatever was living organism is absolutely perfect and exactly corresponds to the task that has been assigned.So, in an elongated proboscis mouthparts butterfly helps her produce nectar even the most "difficult" colors, and adaptation of plants to the environment in the form of thick stems of cactus and other succulents are ideally suited for storing water for a long time.
Unfortunately, even many modern scientists continue to treat nature as a brilliant sculptor, each creation is perfect and infallible.But!It is important to clearly understand that it is not so!
modern study of adaptation to the environment showed that all changes are always relative, since formed much slower real change in environmental conditions.Accordingly, many of the features may be unnecessary, and sometimes even harmful to the body, if the world is to change.
evidence regarding
proof of the fact that the adaptation of living organisms is a concept very, very relative, use the following examples:
- from some enemy guards are very effective, but other animal rescue is not particularly good.Poisonous fish gladly eat cone snails and poisonous hairy caterpillars include in your diet cuckoo.
- Not all reflexes of animals really suitable and adequately correlated with environmental conditions.Think of moths that gather pollen from the bright colors, clearly visible at night: they are as quickly fly into the flames of bonfires and candles, while dying in the process.
- Government tools in one environment that are really useful in other conditions are harmful and even dangerous.So, geese, which never in my life do not fall into the water, there are webbed paws.
- Beavers, one of the best "engineers" in nature, actively building a dam, even in stagnant ponds and pools, which is a waste of effort.
especially clearly manifested in the case of the relativity of those animals, whose birthplace is located at the other end of the globe, but the man who had brought in a completely new environment for them.Simply put, it is the relative nature of the adaptability of the most significant and proves that nature is not always infallible.
