Adaptations for Movement
1
What is Adaptation? “...the way in which a species becomes better suited to living in its environment.�
2
Movement • There are many different methods of movement • Different habitats present different problems to movement that need to be overcome • Specialists vs. Generalists Leopard seal – aquatic specialist
Good in water...
...cumbersome on land
3
Why move?
American pika collecting food
Grass snake hatchlings dispersing
Common warthog fleeing from cheetah
Radiated tortoises mating
4
Bornean orangutan
Snow leopard
Rainforest
River Polar
Desert
Which habitat?
Ocean
Woodland
Mountains Open grassland
Nile crocodile
Red squirrel
5
Bornean orangutan
Snow leopard
How are they adapted to move in their habitat? Red squirrel
Nile crocodile
6
Movement on Land Adaptations to moving on land • Things to think about: • Speed vs. agility – Move to catch prey or to escape predators – Land may be open or have obstacles such as trees
• Moving over different substrates e.g. sand, snow, mud 7
Cheetah • Open plains specialist • Adapted for speed
Spanish ibex
• Rocky habitat specialist • Adapted for agility
9
Polar bear
• Habitat generalist – can move over land and in water • Adapted to polar habitat 10
Legless movement • Movement without limbs • Adapted to overcome friction
Sidewinder
Leopard slug
11
Arboreal Movement Adaptations to arboreal movement Things to think about: • Forested areas may not be continuous • Moving from one tree to another • Balance and grip
• Fossa
• Habitat generalist – can move quickly through trees as well as on the ground • Adapted to jump between branches
13
White-handed gibbon
• Master of agility • Adapted to swing between branches14
Sugar glider
• Arboreal specialist • Adapted to glide between trees
15
Aquatic Movement Adaptations to aquatic movement • Things to think about: • Friction – causing drag • Buoyancy – saline vs. freshwater • Currents and tides
16
Great white shark
• Aquatic specialist • Adapted for speed
17
Spotted handfish
• Aquatic specialist • Two different methods of moving through water 18
Aerial Movement Adaptations to aerial movement • Things to think about: • Overcoming friction • Use of air currents • Hot air vs. cold air
19
• Common swift
Peregrine falcon
• Aerodynamic body shape • Adapted for speed 20
California condor
• Aerial movement using thermals • Adapted for gliding
21
Wild Journey - You will be given an ‘Adaptations for Movement’ worksheet. - Write in the adaptations that each species has for moving through its natural habitat. Once you have finished the worksheet, you can begin your ‘Wild Journey’ • Get into groups of 5 or less • Each group will need: • 1x Wild Journey board game • 5x Species characters - use as your playing pieces on the board • 5x Species fact files - explains how your particular species is adapted to moving through its natural habitat • 1x Rules sheet - read before beginning the game
• If you land on your natural habitat square: roll the dice again.
• If you land on your least suitable habitat square: miss a go!
Habitat Species Natural
Least suitable
African savannah
Polar
Rainforest
African savannah
Polar bear
Polar
Rainforest
Sidewinder
Desert
Rocky cliffs
Rocky cliffs
Desert
Cheetah White-handed gibbon
Spanish ibex