What Is the Definition of Behavioral Adaptation?

An adaptation is any trait that changes to better suit the organism for its environment. Adaptations are genetically-based and can be passed on from generation to generation. Behavioral adaptations are those adaptations that have a behavioral component to them.

Significance

Adaptations are heritable characteristics that aid an organism's fitness (which is a product of survival and reproduction). For instance, birds can have very long bills that help them drink nectar from a tube-shaped flower. The length of the bird's bill is genetic and can be passed along to its offspring.
A behavioral adaptation is simply an adaptation that has a behavioral basis. Mobbing behavior in birds, waterfoul migration, calling behavior in frogs and nesting locations in ground squirrels are all behavioral adaptation. All these behaviors have a genetic basis, and can be passed on to subsequent generations.

Function

A behavioral adaptation is an adaptation that helps an organism enhance either survival or reproduction. In the examples above, birds that mob may protect their young from predators by confusing them. Migrating waterfoul have access to abundant food all year round. Certain species of female frogs prefer males with long breeding calls, because males with long calls have better breeding habitats. Ground squirrels that select optimum nesting habitats can have a greater proportion of their young survive.

Misconceptions

In order for a behavior to be considered adaptive, it must increase the survival or the reproduction of the organisms in question. Behaviors that increase conspicuousness to predators, expend unnecessary energy or diminish their survival in any way are considered maladaptive.

Effects

Because behavioral adaptations have a genetic basis, those individuals possessing the most adaptive behaviors are the ones that pass on these behaviors to their offspring. Because the environment can change from generation to generation, behaviors that were once adaptive can no longer be adaptive in the new environment.

Warning

Adaptations are different than acclimatizations. An adaptation, behavioral or otherwise, takes several generations to develop. Organisms cannot adapt to an environment. Using the example above of the bird with the long bill, the bird was born with the bill length it has, and it cannot change. But the bird can bear young that have slightly longer bills. If this continues over generations, and it helps the birds garner more food resources, this can be considered an adaptation.
An individual can become acclimated to conditions within its lifetime. Becoming more "used to" colder temperatures by the end of wintertime is considered an acclimatizations.

Resources

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