Human Adaptation on New

Challenges in the Physical, Social

and Cultural Environment
 Adaptation
•A change or the process of change by which an organism
or species becomes better suited to its environment.
• Thisalso refers to the action or process of adapting or
being adapted or the process of changing to suit different
conditions.
 Types of Adaptation

• Structural Adaptations
• Behavioral Adaptation
• Physiological Adaptation
 Structural Adaptation
• Structural Adaptations are physical features of an organism such as
shape, body covering, armament; and even the internal organization
(e.g. a penguin has blubbered to protect itself from freezing
temperatures)
Examples of Structural Adaptation

Camel Giraffe
 Behavioral Adaptations
• Behavioral Adaptations are composed of inherited behavior chains
and/or the ability to learn (e.g. bears hibernate in winter to escape
the cold temperature and preserve energy).

Two types of behavioral adaptation

 Inherited Behaviors
 Learned Behaviors
Examples of Behavioral Adaptation

Caterpillar making a
cocoon
Turtle
 Physiological Adaptations
• Physiological Adaptations is an internal body process to regulate
and maintain homeostasis for an organism to survive in the
environment in which it exists
• Permit the organ to perform special functions like venom (in the
snakes and the like), secreting slime, phototropism; and more
general functions such as growth and development, temperature
regulation and ionic balance
Examples of Physiological Adaptation

Skunk Snake
 Which Adaptation are Humans In?
The adaptation of humans are behavioral adaptation. Humans are like any
other organisms and animals try to act more cautious if changes in their
environment are perceived to have a dangerous impact on their welfare. They
may try to work on new ways to meet own goals more effectively.

The ability of humans to be able to rapidly adapt to varying environment

conditions and changes has made it possible for them to survive in any
regions or places anywhere in the world.
 Several Ways of Human Adapting to Environment

o Genetic Change – is an inherited or acquired modification in organisms that

makes them better suited to survive and a particular environment. For
instance, people whose ancestors have lived in areas that had endemic,
malaria for thousands of years often inherit some degree of immunity to this
serious disease.
o Developmental Adjustment – one of the more powerful types of adjustments
to environmental stresses is a change in growth patterns and development.
This occurs in childhood and typically results in anatomical and/or
physiological changes that are mostly irreversible in adulthood.
o Acclimatization and cultural practices - All other forms of adjustment to
environmental stresses are usually reversible whether they occur in childhood
or adulthood. These reversible changes are referred to as acclimatization or
acclimatory adjustment. It is useful to consider the different forms of
acclimatization in terms of the length of time over which they can occur.
o Use of technology - Humans do not only interact with their environments
biologically. People invented technological aids that allowed us to occupy
new environments without having to first evolve biological adaptations to
them. Houses, clothing, and fire permitted us to live in temperate and,
ultimately, arctic regions despite the fact we still essentially have the bodies
of tropical animals.
 Mitigation is another term for adaptation to climate change which
define as technological change and substitution that reduces
resource inputs and emissions per unit of output.

Several ways of mitigation includes

 Using efficient energy generation technology
 Using more efficient energy end user technology
 Replacing fossil fuels with none or low carbon emitting energy
generating technology such as renewable energy sources or nuclear
energy.
 Adopting a more sustainable natural resource management.
 Harvesting or extraction technologies and practice.
 Transnational Migration and Overseas
Filipino Worker
The process of geographic mobility or the change of residence of a
person from one community to another with the intention of
settling temporarily or permanently is migration. The movement is
often over long distances and from one country to another, or it
can be within the immediate community. Migration can also be
done by individuals, family units or in larger groups.
 Three Types of Mobility or Migration
A.International Migration - is the permanent transfer of residence from one
country to another. It is the change of residence over national boundaries. An
international migrant is someone who moves to a different country.
B.Internal Migration - is a change in residence within a country and refers to a
change of residence within national boundaries, such as between states,
provinces, cities, or municipalities. An internal migrant is someone who moves
to a different administrative territory.
C.Circulation Migration - is a temporary movement of a person. The change in
residence is temporary due to work or study, but the migrant will definitely
return in his home community.
A new form of migration is termed as transnational migration.
These are the people who having migrated from one nation-state to
another live their lives across borders, participating simultaneously
in social relations that embed them in more than one nation-state are
called transnational migrants. Not all migrants can be considered as
transnational migrants, and not all who take part in transnational
practices do so all the time. Most migrants are occasional
transnational activists. They more focused on their countries of
origin while at others they are more involved in their countries of
reception.
Example of transnational migration are the Overseas Filipino
Workers or OFW. Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a person of
Filipino origin who works and lives outside the country. This term
applies to Filipinos who are abroad indefinitely as citizens or as
permanent residents of a different country and to those Filipino
citizens who are abroad for a limited, definite period as workers or
as students.