Naturally Beating the Cold, Naturally There are probably few more relaxing and pleasurable moments than coming in out of winter s cold and cuddling up to the fireplace. We have built houses and furnaces and insulated clothing to beat the cold. It appears that nature and evolution are not stupid.
Top priority is survival, and that always means adaptation.
To survive freezing temperatures, life had to flee or adapt. Many species of birds chose to flee, and like wealthy and pampered humans, spend their winters in the tropics. These creatures are certainly not less fortunate. Adaptation was more difficult, but the results are nothing short of amazing. Hibernation is a form of adaptation where the animal s metabolism slows down to very low levels.