In 1942 a scientist testing part of a radar system discovered that a candy bar in his pocket had melted. Intrigued, he tried placing an egg near the system he was working on; it exploded and splattered him with hot egg. In this way it was discovered that part of the radar system could be used to cook foods, which led to the development of the microwave oven. When this kind of repurposing occurs in biological systems, it is called
A) paedomorphosis.
B) mutation.
C) exaptation.
D) adaptive radiation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a structure or behavior evolves for one purpose and is later used for another purpose, it is called exaptation. In this case, a part of the radar system was originally designed for detecting and measuring radio waves, but it was later discovered that it could be used to generate electromagnetic waves that can heat food. Therefore, exaptation is the correct term to describe the repurposing of a technological system for a new function. Paedomorphosis refers to the retention of juvenile traits in adulthood, mutation is a random error in DNA replication, and adaptive radiation refers to the diversification of species into different ecological niches over time. None of these terms accurately describes the process of discovering the microwave oven.

In 1942 a Scientist Testing Part of a Radar System