As an environment changes, the animals that live there must respond to the changes in order to survive. Some responses need to be made quickly. For example, if disease strikes an animal's normal food source, it must find another source. Most other responses take place very gradually at the species level. This means they do not happen during one animal's lifetime, but over several generations or longer. A trait or characteristic that has evolved to help a living thing survive in changing environmental conditions is called an adaptation. In this lesson you’ll learn about adaptations—especially, how an adaptation's structure (how it looks) is related to its function (how it's used).

Look at the photo on the left. Why do you think this bird has a long, pointed beak? Write your ideas in two to three sentences.

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