Video Transcript
Some examples of structural
adaptations are provided below. (1) Brightly colored leaves on
flowers. (2) Strong, powerful, hind
legs. (3) Skin or fur coloring that
matches the environment. (4) A short and powerful beak to
crush seeds. (5) Webbed feet to allow efficient
swimming in water. Which of these adaptations helps
organisms hide from predators?
Let’s first remember that a
structural adaptation is a physical trait of an organism that helps make it well
suited for its environment. We are given a list of several
structural adaptations of different species. But we are asked specifically which
of these would help organisms hide from predators.
A structural adaptation that helps
organisms conceal themselves is camouflage. There can be multiple purposes and
benefits of such concealment, including that it can help the organism hide from
predators. In order for camouflage to work, it
needs to match the environment closely enough that the organism blends in and
becomes unnoticeable.
So we are looking for a structural
adaptation here that results in blending in with the environment and becoming
unnoticeable. The only listed adaptation here
that would help an organism blend in to the environment is (3). Skin or fur coloring that matches
the environment would definitely help an organism become less noticeable and
therefore hide better from predators.
Bright colors on flowers would do
the opposite of helping them hide. In fact, this would draw attention
to them. And the other choices on the list
are adaptations that are unrelated to blending in with the environment.
So the correct answer to this
question is (3). The structural adaptation in the
list that would help organisms hide from predators is skin or fur coloring that
matches the environment, indicated by the number (3).
