Question

Favourable morphological and physiological response to change in the environment is called
(a) Preadaptation
(b) Ecotyping
(c) Formation of ecophones
(d) Acclimatisation

Answer 1

Hint: An organism is bestowed with an ability to respond to changes in its surroundings. One of its ways is to generate a favorable morphological and physiological response in a short period of time.

Complete answer:
Acclimatization is a phenomenon in which an organism adjusts itself to the changes in its immediate environment. These changes are variable and may deal with a change in climate, temperature, pH or humidity, etc. Examples of acclimatization can be seen in fishes, lizards, and plants like a tomato. The humans survive in the environment of high altitude by acclimatization. Their body starts producing more RBCs to counter the drop of oxygen levels at high altitudes. This change takes some days or weeks. Mammals like sheep shedding their heavy woolen coat of fur in exchange for a lighter coat of fur so as to survive in a new warm climate.

Additional Information: -Preadaptation is a term used in evolution to refer to a major change in function without any change or little change in the structure concerned to adapt to the new environment. For example, the feather of birds was concerned with heat insulation before it was adapted as an apparatus for flight.
-Ecotype is a term used in the field of ecology to describe a genetically different variety of populations within a species. Their difference may have arisen due to the separation by geographical barriers.
-Ecophenes is also known as ecads. They have morphologically changed forms of the same species. These changes may have arisen due to their response to survival to the difference in environments. For example, an American living in Africa will have different levels of melanin pigment as compared to Americans living in Europe. Though these changes are not permanent, it is an organism’s first response in developing abilities to survive in the new land.
So, the correct answer is ‘Acclimatisation.’

Note: -Acclimatisation is different from the phenomenon of adaptation as an organism deals and adapts to the changes in a short period of time in acclimatization while in an adaptation, the organism develops useful traits over a longer period of time spanning generations.
-The methods employed in acclimatization may be of biochemical nature or it may be some morphological changes in their body structure.