Background Every species is unique,
and possesses unique physical and behavioral characteristics - known as
adaptations - which accomodate that species' manner of surviving. For
example, some species live on land, while other live in the water or in
the air. Some species eat only meat, while other eat only plants, and
still others eat both plants and meat. And some species can survive great
temperature ranges, while others must stay within narrower ranges. Species
which can accomodate broad ranges of temperature, geography, food etc
are known as generalists, while species whose tolerance of temperature,
geography, food, etc is much narrower, are called specialists. Any scientist seeing
a Manatee for the first time could instantly guess that this mammal spends
its entire life in the water, eats grasses and other plants, can stay
underwater for long periods, has few or no natural enemies, and is vulnerable
to cold. How? By understanding how bodies and behavior are adapted to
habitat and life history.
Try This! The Match Game The most important part of a human body is the brain, which allows us to solve a lot of problems and adapt to a lot of different environments without changing our whole body. Let's think of some human inventions and how they could help us live like Manatees. Human
Inventions and Manatee Adaptations!
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