Introduction
Organism body plan is basically the outline for the way the organism body is laid out. This includes the body segments of an organism, number of limbs and the organism’s symmetry. Radical changes have occurred in organisms over a long geological time due to various factors. Environment is one of the factors that highly influence the body plan of an organism, also know as Bauplan.
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Organisms best suited to a particular environment have better chances of survival over a period of time. In this case, organisms will have to adapt through development of traits that give them an advantage to survive in a given environment. These traits may be in form of body segments, limbs structure and the shape of the organism. Over a period of time, these traits are passed on to the offspring because they best the organism’s suit to the environment.
To be able to catch insects from the wood, woodpecker living in an environment where cactus is growing will likely alter the shape of the beak to make it possible for the bird to use the cactus needle to extract insects that they would not have been able to catch with the normal beak. This altered physical characteristic is passed on to the offspring to make them more adaptable to this environment.
In hot and arid environments, organisms will develop body structures that help them to adapt to this environment. Burrowing animal will most likely develop body structure that enables them to create and live underground shelter while flying organism like bird will develop body plans that which will enable them to build and live in nest to shelter them from the hot environmental condition.
The growth of a plant can be stunted or accelerated by the environment. High attitude will stunt the growth of a tree. For example if the seeds of valley pine tree are planted on top of a mountain, the tree will not reach the normal height of the parent pine tree. But after one or two-generation, if the seed of the stunted pine tree were planted in the valley, they will definitely grow to normal height of the parent pine tree. In this regard, it is the environment that influences the height of the pine tree.
The hip bone of snake and the whale is vestigial as they originate from a walking predecessor. But because of their environment, the hipbone cannot develop into a spine as the organism will not be able to survive in their environment.
The giraffe, mostly found in the interior of Africa, originally had legs of the same size, and a normal neck, but due to the kind of environment it lives in, it has to strain continuously as it reaches for leaves from the tree. This continued habit for a long time has resulted in the longer forelegs than hind legs and a longer neck of all members of the giraffe.
Summary
Most of the physical characteristics of organisms are highly influenced by the environment in which the organism lives. Change in the environment will most likely cause the organisms to alter their body plan. Without these altered body plans, the organism is likely not to survive.
Reference
Dennis Charles Deeming (2004) Reptilian Incubation; Environment, Evolution and Behavior, Nottingham University Press, United Kingdom.
Mirilia Bonnes, Gianfranco Secchiaroli (1995) Environmental Psychology; A psycho-Social Introduction, Montagna Publishers, United Kingdom.