The evolutionary theory was introduced to the world by Darwin during his expedition to the Galapagos Islands. During that trip, he became interested in organisms and observed that all organisms adapted their anatomy and physiology over long periods of time to better adapt to a changing environment and those that did not adapt to a changing environment eventually died out. This was Darwin’s theory, he called it “Survival of the fittest”.
Before discussing ‘What is the difference between natural selection and adaptation?’ let’s discuss some aspects of natural selection and adaptation. Both natural selection and adaptation are part of the evolution of a species.
What is Adaptation?
Adaptation is an evolutionary process that helps organisms adapt to their environment. Generally, it is the process and not the state of physical change.
This dynamic was discussed in ancient times by Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Empedocles. Improvement is an ongoing process without a final form.
Adaptation can be defined as the physiological or behavioral characteristics of an organism that help an organism to survive successfully in its environment Living species survive when adapted to their habitat.
This is because organisms have unique characteristics that allow them to adapt and survive in changing environments.
These characteristics develop as a result of developmental processes due to genetic changes. Genetic engineering contributes to survival and reproduction and is passed from one generation to the next.
Adaptation has been largely discussed in the philosophy of biology, and is related to biological adaptation.
What is Natural Selection?
Natural selection is a process by which organisms mutate and change. However, all individuals in a population are naturally variable. Changes caused by natural selection are traits inherited by generations of humans.
Natural selection is an important evolutionary process. Biodiversity is closely related to evolution because it is the result of different processes that come under evolution.
The concept of natural selection is one such approach among others. According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, evolution was the result of natural selection. It states that natural selection biases against inherited biological traits.
The ability of organisms to adapt is what helps organisms evolve through the process of natural selection. Natural selection is classified in different ways based on the following factors.
Difference Between Adaptation And Natural Selection
| Adaptation | Natural Selection |
| Overview | |
| A characteristic that increases the chances of survival. | A tendency where traits (which are beneficial) increase in frequency in a population. |
| Example | |
| An example of adaptation is the way desert plants have adapted to survive in hot, dry deserts. Plants known as succulents have adjusted to the dry climate by storing water in their thick, short stems and leaves are reduced into spines to reduce water loss. | The camouflage colour patterns of Biston betularia, the peppered moth, is one of the most famous examples of evolution via natural selection. It is an evolutionary example of colour variation in the mouth population as a result of air pollution that occurred during the Industrial Revolution. The number of dark-coloured variants increased dramatically, an instance of industrial melanism. When air pollution was reduced, the light-colour moths again outnumbered the dark ones. |
