source: http://.evoution.berkeley.edu.
Exaptation
a feature that performs a function but that was not produced by natural selection for its current use.
Example: feathers/penguins
A good example of an exaptation is the use of feathers because originally feathers were meant to provide insulation y natural selection to bird, but overtime feathers became a feature that allowed for birds to fly. Also, the penguin being a flightless bird was given wings that were meant to fly but overtime they converted to flippers which allows it to swim in the oceans.
Example: sutures
Another example is found in the skulls of vetebrates. Skulls contain sutures which are joints that fuse over time. Their purpose is allow for growth & development of the brain, but they also enable an easier birthing process aloowing the compression of the skull when the offspring is passing through the birth canal.
Reference: Parry, W. (2013). Exaptation: how evolution uses what's available. Live Science. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/39688-exaptation.html
