Adaptation Island

2. the long-distance seasonal movement of animals between distinct ranges, driven by factors like food availability, climate, or breeding grounds.
3. the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
7. the varying reproductive success of individuals within a population, meaning some individuals leave more offspring than others.
10. anatomical features or behaviors that were once functional in an organism's ancestors but have lost their original function or are significantly reduced in their function in the current species
12. body parts in different species that share a common ancestry and underlying structural similarity, despite potentially having different functions.
13. similar features in different species that have evolved independently to serve a similar function, despite not having a common evolutionary origin.
15. the process where an organism's characteristics, whether behavioral, morphological, or physiological, become better suited to its environment, increasing its chances of survival and reproduction.

1. an organism's internal changes, at the cellular or tissue level, that enhance its ability to thrive in a specific environment.
4. the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.
5. the resemblance of one organism to another, often a harmful or dangerous one, where the mimic benefits from the mistaken identity
6. the random fluctuation of allele frequencies within a population's gene pool over time, primarily due to chance events.
8. a natural adaptation where an animal's color, pattern, or shape helps it blend into its surroundings, making it difficult to detect or recognize by predators or prey.
9. a physical characteristic of an organism that helps it to better survive and reproduce in its environment.
11. an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a given environment, ultimately contributing to the passing on of its genes to the next generation.
14. a permanent alteration in the DNA or RNA sequence of an organism or virus