The art of
adaptation
Acting Principal Fiona Devlin suggests that if there is anything that 2020 taught us, it is the need to move and adapt to alleviate stress. As a Biology teacher, she draws on the science of animal adaptation and natural selection, and in particular Darwin’s finches as a metaphor for human adaptation. Animal adaptation is an animal’s ability to change their physical appearance, physiological functioning, or behaviour to adapt to a new environment. One of the interesting and famous cases of animal adaptation in biology is the Galapagos Island finches. The Galapagos Islands are a group of isolated islands off the coast of South America. Finches are tiny birds discovered by scientist Charles Darwin. Known as Darwin’s finches, these little birds are known for their diversity, the differences in their beak structure and function, and how they behave.
8 |
Success 2021 Thrive
Darwin’s finches are a classic example of how animals have adapted to their new environment. They share a common ancestor that arrived on the Galapagos about two million years ago, when there was a land bridge to the mainland. As the landmass shifted, some animals were confined to the islands. Over time, the finches evolved into 15 recognised species, differing in body size, beak shape, song and behaviour. Depending on where they landed and what food and shelter were available, they had to adapt to the environment because they didn’t have a choice. So what does the survival of finches on the Galapagos Islands have to do with us? To be successful, humans also need to continually adapt to the changing environment, whether we like it or not. The global pandemic has taught us many things. We’ve had to evaluate which jobs will stand the test of time, we’ve
