Morphological & Behavioural Adaptations
- An adaptation can be defined as:
A feature of an organism that aids survival in its environment
- Adaptations can be:
- Morphological: the physical features of an organism that aid survival
- Behavioural: things that an organism does that aid survival
Adaptations table
| Type of adaptation | Example | How it aids survival |
| Morphological | Arctic foxes have short, rounded ears and thick fur | Reduction of heat loss to the environment |
| Cacti have spines instead of leaves | Reduced leaf surface area means that less water is lost by transpiration | |
| Dolphins have a streamlined body shape | Swimming efficiency is improved | |
| Behavioural | Desert rodents are nocturnal | Remaining in underground burrows during the heat of the day prevents overheating |
| Lions hunt together in groups | There is an increased chance of catching prey and having enough food |
Morphological and behavioural adaptations diagram
Adaptations can be morphological or behavioural, as shown here in fennec foxes (top) and emperor penguins (bottom)
Exam Tip
It is always a good idea when writing about adaptations to (1) state the feature and then (2) explain how it aids survival; many students lose marks by identifying adaptive features and then failing to explain how they are useful for survival
