Exaptation
Pre-Adaptation · Co-Option
A shift in the function of a trait during evolution. For example, a trait can evolve because it served one particular function, but subsequently it may come to serve another.
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Origin
Introduced by the paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould and his colleague Elisabeth Vrba in 1982. Gould and Vrba argued that exaptation was an important mechanism of evolutionary change, and that it could explain the origins of complex and novel structures or functions. The concept of exaptation has since become a recognized concept in evolutionary biology and has been used to describe a wide range of phenomena, from the evolution of feathers to the development of language in humans. It has also been used to challenge traditional views of adaptation and to emphasize the role of contingency and historical accident in shaping biological diversity.