BioConcepts

adaptednessAngepasstheit (ger.)

• 1) Suitability of the environmental conditions for the needs of organisms.
  category adaptation

  1826

  If we consider the adaptedness of the heavens and the earth to the use, convenience and happiness of his creatures, we shall see that they display his [viz., God’s] goodness, as clearly as creation can display it

  Emmons, N. (1826). Sermons on Various Subjects of Christian Doctrine and Duty: 68f.

  1828

  No country can exceed this [viz., Indiana] in its adaptedness for rearing the finest fruits and fruit bearing shrubs

  Flint, T. (1828). A Condensed Geography and History of the Western States, or the Mississippi Valley, vol. 2: 141.

  1835

  this adaptedness of soils for so great a variety of plants

  Hitchcock, E. (1835). The connection between geology and natural religion. The Biblical Repository and Observer 5, 113-138: 122.

• 2) A relative and measurable state of an organism's adaptation to its environment's elements, hence the existence of a relation between organism and environment, that causes different chances of survival and differentiated reproduction of organisms (e.g. relative adaptation of a mammal to aquatic life). (HWB)
  category adaptation

  1845

  an adaptedness to the climate [of sheep]

  Anonymus (1845). Farming in Vermont. The Cultivator 1, 219-221: 220.

  1847

  adaptedness to the soil, climate, and wants of the farmer [of cattle]

  Allen, R.L. (1847). Domestic Animals: 28.

  1854

  the adaptedness of animals to particular localities

  Howard, S. (1854). Remarks on varieties of the domestic ox. Trans. Wisconsin State Agric. Soc. 3, 295-316: 299.

  1860

  the size of an animal is not the test of its adaptedness to the zone in which we may discover it

  Warden, R.B. (1860). A Familiar Forensic View of Man and Law: 31.

  1879

  die Behauptung, daß die Sicherheit der Vererbung abhängig ist 1) von dem Grade der Angepaßtheit an die Lebensbedingungen seitens beider Zeugenden, 2) von der Vereinigung und gegenseitigen Beeinflussung der elterlichen Eigenschaften im Gezeugten und 3) von dem Einfluß der Außenwelt auf das Gezeugte – hat sich bisher als richtig erwiesen

  Werner, E. (1879). Die Ursachen der Vererbungskraft: 30.

  1896

  adaptedness of organisms

  Sandeman, G. (1896). Problems of Biology: 19.

  1968

  Adaptedness is a state of being adapted: adaptation refers to the process of becoming adapted; adaptability means that the organism or population concerned can remain or can become physiologically or genetically adapted in a certain range of environments.

  Dobzhansky, T. (1968). On some fundamental concepts of Darwinian biology. In: Dobzhansky, T., Hecht, M.K. & Steere, W.C. (eds.). Evolutionary Biology, vol. 2, 1-34: 7.