genetic adaptation
Hereditary trait change
Genetic adaptation is a heritable change in a population that improves survival or reproduction in a particular environment.
Natural selection favors traits that help organisms thrive, and over generations these traits become more common.
The genetic adaptation that allows Tibetans to live at high altitude took thousands of years to develop.
Distinguished from acclimatization, which occurs within an individual's lifetime.
- selective pressureInfluence favoring certain traits
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
- survival of the fittestAdaptive advantage perpetuates species
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
gene flow · population bottleneck · mimicry · convergent evolution · camouflage · environmental stress · gene pool · speciation · heritability · genetic diversity · physiological changes · epigenetics · trait · Darwin's finches · breeding · selective breeding · habitat fragmentation · variation
- insect migrationmonarch butterfly, painted lady, locust swarms, locusts, dragonflies
- altitude physiologyacclimatization, altitude sickness, hypoxia, mountain sickness, acute mountain sickness
- Genetic Conservationgene bank, gene banks, seed bank, seed banks, genetic diversity
genetic adaptationlearned behavior
Action acquired through experience
cultural adaptation · acquired trait · conditioning · habituation · social learning
genetic adaptationmaladaptation
Poorly suited inherited trait
genetic disorder · genetic defect · genetic disease · congenital defect · inherited disease