cold-adapted
Built for freezing
Cold-adapted describes organisms or features suited to survive in cold environments.
Arctic animals are cold-adapted through thick fur, body fat, or specialized circulation.
The term applies to plants, microbes, and physiological traits: cold-adapted enzymes remain active at low temperatures.
Sometimes describes human populations or equipment designed for frigid conditions.
Large white arctic mammal
- penguinFlightless aquatic southern bird
- arctic foxCold-adapted northern canine
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- walrusTusked Arctic marine mammal
musk ox · ptarmigan · snowy owl · reindeer · caribou · narwhal · beluga · lemming
Frigid treeless biome
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
- ArcticEarth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticSouthern polar region
- alpineOf high elevations
boreal · glacier · ice sheet · polar region · taiga · high altitude · subarctic · snowfield
Differential reproductive success
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- ice ageEra of massive glaciation
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
fitness · genetic variation · selective pressure · endemic species · convergent evolution · climate shift · migration · isolation
Marine mammal fat
- thick furDense animal hair
- hibernationProlonged winter dormancy
- torporInactive, sluggish state
- vasoconstrictionArterial walls contracting inward
brown fat · shivering · insulation · subcutaneous fat · metabolic rate · thermoregulation · down feathers · underfur
polar bear
Large white arctic mammal
- penguinFlightless aquatic southern bird
- arctic foxCold-adapted northern canine
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
walrus · musk ox · ptarmigan · snowy owl · reindeer · caribou · narwhal · beluga · lemming · wolverine
tundra
Frigid treeless biome
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
- ArcticEarth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticSouthern polar region
alpine · boreal · glacier · ice sheet · polar region · taiga · high altitude · subarctic · snowfield · frozen soil
natural selection
Differential reproductive success
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- ice ageEra of massive glaciation
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
survival · fitness · genetic variation · selective pressure · endemic species · convergent evolution · climate shift · migration · isolation
blubber
Marine mammal fat
- thick furDense animal hair
- hibernationProlonged winter dormancy
- torporInactive, sluggish state
vasoconstriction · brown fat · shivering · insulation · subcutaneous fat · metabolic rate · thermoregulation · down feathers · underfur · blood flow