Canada Goose Essay

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The organism Branta canadensis (Canada goose) exhibits a variety of adaptations to enhance its ability to survive and reproduce. One such trait is the anatomy of the bird’s eye, which “[has] an outer…membrane that… is white and fluffy” and “serves” several important functions (Herrmann, 2016, p. 76). On the one hand, the structure “protects… the eyes of the Canada goose” from being damaged “when it is asleep” (Herrmann, 2016, p. 76). On the other hand, its color prevents predators from approaching a sleeping goose and harming it, as the eyes appear open and watchful, even when they are closed (Herrmann, 2016, p. 76). The utility of this adaptation in terms of the Canada goose’s survival is clear: if the Canada goose lacked this adaptation, it would be more likely to fall prey to other animals while it is vulnerably sleeping, and its ability to produce the maximum number of offspring possible would be compromised. This is a morphological adaptation, as it relates to the …show more content…

79- 80). The structure of the feet, moreover, “distribute the weight of a Canada goose and prevent it from sinking” when it is standing on marshy or soft land (Herrmann, 2016, p. 80). Finally, “the webbing between the three front toes of a Canada goose” improve its ability to move effectively through water (Herrmann, 2016, p. 78). Consequently, the evolutionary efficacy of the webbed feet adaptation is clear, as it improves on the goose’s ability to survive while it is in the air, on land, and on water. Like their eyelid structure, this would be considered a morphological trait, for its correlation between the bird’s anatomy and its

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