Question

Question:

How is sensory adaptation beneficial to animals?

Answer:

Sensory adaptation is helpful to animals who for example use their sense of smell to hunt their prey as smells that interfere with their hunting are only present for a short period of time and will quickly go away, allowing them to successfully continue with their hunt.

Answer 1

What about hearing predators approaching?

Answer 2

Thank you! I'm sorry, but I don't understand how that is a sensory adaptation? Doesn't it have to be something that happens quickly but also only lasts for a short period of time?

Answer 3

It seems to me that a sense of smell and a sense of hearing are similar. They are sensory adaptations, often peculiar to a specific species.

Answer 4

Sensory adaptation is becoming less sensitive to a stimulus after sensing it continuously for a period of time. Let me give you a real life example — mine.

Decades ago, I worked in an old home with several buildings. Even though they tried to keep the buildings clean, the smell of urine was very strong when I first entered any building (Whew, did it stink!). Even so, as I continued to work in that environment, I adapted and did not notice the odor. However, sometimes I had to go from one building to another. It was nice to get into the fresh air, which made me lose my adaptation, so when I entered a building again the smell of urine was very strong. Again, with time in that environment, I did not notice the odor.

We and animals are very sensitive to change. If the stimulus remains constant, the sensitivity is lost.

I hope this helps a little more.