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exaptation

[ eg-zap-tey-shuhn, ek-sap- ]

noun

, Biology.
  1. a process in which a feature acquires a function that was not acquired through natural selection.
  2. a feature having a function for which it was not originally adapted or selected.
  3. a morphological or physiological feature that predisposes an organism to adapt to a different environment or lifestyle.
  4. predisposition toward adaptation.


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Other Words From

  • ex·apted adjective
  • ex·ap·tive [eg-, zap, -tiv, ig-, ek-, sap, -], adjective

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