In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly it is the dynamic evolutionary process that fits a population of organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the population during that process. Thirdly, it is a phenotypic or adaptive trait, with a functional role in each individual organism, that is maintained and has been evolved by natural selection. 

Organisms face a succession of environmental challenges as they grow, and show adaptive plasticity as traits develop in response to the imposed conditions. This gives them resilience to varying environments. 

Adaptation is an observable fact of life accepted by philosophers and natural historians from ancient times, independently of their views on evolution, but their explanations differed. Empedocles did not believe that adaptation required a final cause (~ purpose), but "came about naturally, since such things survived." Aristotle did believe in final causes, but assumed that species were fixed. 

In natural theology, adaptation was interpreted as the work of a deity and as evidence for the existence of God. William Paley believed that organisms were perfectly adapted to the lives they led, an argument that shadowed Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who had argued that God had brought about "the best of all possible worlds." Voltaire's Dr. Pangloss is a parody of this optimistic idea, and David Hume also argued against design. The "Bridgewater Treatises" are a product of natural theology, though some of the authors managed to present their work in a fairly neutral manner. The series was lampooned by Robert Knox, who held quasi-evolutionary views, as the "Bilgewater Treatises". Charles Darwin broke with the tradition by emphasising the flaws and limitations which occurred in the animal and plant worlds.
What was interpreted as the work of a god?
what did William Paley say?
who's idea did that shadow?
what exactly did he argue?
Who made fun of that idea?
what woirk?
how many meanings does adaption have in biology?
name one
what does that improve?
what's the 2nd meaning?
when?
lastly?
what type of role does that play
how is the trait developed?
what do living things face?
when?
what allows them to develop?
in response to what?
what does this do?
What did David Hulme write?
adaptation
 adaptation
organisms were perfectly adapted to the lives they led
organisms were perfectly adapted to the lives they led
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
God had brought about the best of all possible worlds.
God had brought about "the best of all possible worlds.
Voltaire
Voltaire
Dr. Pangloss
 Dr. Pangloss
three
 three r
the dynamic evolutionary process
the dynamic evolutionary process
evolutionary fitness
 evolutionary fitness
a state reached by the population
a state reached by the population
during that process
 during that process
a phenotypic or adaptive trait
a phenotypic or adaptive trait
a functional role
 a functional role
natural selection
natural selectio
a succession of environmental challenges
a succession of environmental challenges 
as they grow
as they grow
adaptive plasticity
 adaptive plasticity
the imposed conditions.
the imposed conditions.
gives them resilience
gives them resilience
Bridgewater Treatises
Bridgewater Treatises