Sesson 2: Adaptation and Survival

Key Idea

All living things have different features and behaviors called traits. Some traits give an organism a special advantage in its home, or environment. These helpful traits make it easier for an organism to survive, which means to stay alive.

A trait that helps an organism survive and have babies is called an adaptive trait. For example, an adaptive trait might help an organism find food, build a home, or hide from predators. Organisms with adaptive traits are more likely to reproduce, or have babies, in their environment.

Key Idea

An organism has many traits. Some traits are very helpful in its specific home, or environment. For a grove snail, a shell color that matches the forest floor is an adaptive trait. This camouflage helps the snail hide from hungry birds.

Because the snail is hidden, it has a better chance to live and grow. Organisms that live longer are more likely to survive and reproduce. This means they can have babies, passing on their helpful traits to the next generation.