• Question: How did animals know how to adapt to there surroundings?

    Asked by Mason2006 to Lauren, Marisol, Michael, Sarah, Sophie on 8 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Michael Rivera

      Michael Rivera answered on 8 Nov 2016:

      This is a great, very important question.

      The first thing to know is that animals do not ‘know’ they are adapting to their surroundings. They simply try to live their life and try not to get eaten by predators.

      Imagine there are two rabbits – one who runs faster than the other. If a fox was chasing these rabbits, which one would likely end up eaten? Probably the one who runs slower. The faster rabbit gets to live longer and also might have the chance later in life to have babies. These babies will have the DNA needed to run fast too. They will do better than rabbit families that run slowly.

      In this way, rabbits become adapted to the environment with foxes because ‘fast genes’ are being passed on more so than ‘slow genes’. This is exactly the way rabbits have also adapted longer ears to hear predators with, to have more babies in one litter to increase their chances some babies will survive, and to have long front teeth – the better to eat more with and live longer.

      So the rabbit, and all animals for that matter, do not ‘know’ their species is changing. Nature gives challenges to animals, and those who are able to face those challenges better will pass on the genes needed to face those challenges. Does that make sense?

      Michael 🙂

    • Photo: Lauren Burt

      Lauren Burt answered on 8 Nov 2016:

      I think this is about survival of the fittest. If you fit with your surroundings then you will live, if you don’t then you won’t survive. Who ever is left will have babies together who will have the same good traits and can fit in to the surroundings.

      For example, most animals who live in snowy areas are white- the same colour as snow. They didn’t decide they should be white. It’s just all the animals who were other colours couldn’t hide very well and got eaten! This left all the white animals to live in the snow.

      I was told something about hedgehogs. I’m not sure if it is true… but hedgehogs are taller since cars were invented….. because the shorter ones couldn’t cross the road quick enough!!! Therefore the tall ones all lived and had babies with tall legs so over time, hedgehogs have adapted to there being more cars and therefore now have longer legs!!!

      Lauren

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