ClimateAugust 25, 2026
shapeshifting
SHAPE-shif-ting
Definition
The act of an organism undergoing physiological or morphological changes in response to environmental conditions.
Etymology
A compound of 'shape' (from Old English 'sceap') and 'shift' (from Old English 'sciftan'), the term historically referred to mythological creatures changing form, but has been adopted in biology to describe phenotypic adaptation.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe how some animals are physically altering their body sizes, such as growing larger limbs or shrinking, as an evolutionary response to rising global temperatures.
Ancient Genes May Help Wildlife Adapt to Survive the Climate Crisis — and a Tiny Rodent May Reveal Why
Read the full article ↗Discover Magazine