Exaptation: Using Old Things For New Goals

Exaptation is a shift in the function of a trait during evolution. A trait evolves to serve one function, but comes to serve another. Bird feathers are the classic example. Initially, they were used to keep birds warm. Later, they were adapted for flight. Where feathers were used for flight, that was an exaptive use. Exaptation can be extended as a concept for any trait that was once meant to serve one purpose and is now enlisted for another. Existing structures, skills, and tools can be adapted in new ways.

At the core, exaptation is a functional shift. A trait evolves for one purpose. Later it is utilized for another function that was not originally anticipated. This transition demonstrates how plastic the system is. Its also a form of resourcefulness: reusing what’s present instead of investing into something new. Take something in no way related to biology: architecture. Shipping containers were designed and initially used solely for transporting goods. Nowadays people have come up with the idea that they can converted into affordable. modular housing.

The concept applies to anything from business and technology, to art an culture, where an existing process is adapted for a new use. A company could take one product feature originally developed for one market segment and repackage it to address a completely different customer need. Think of the countless ways furniture, kitchen utensils, beverage bottles, and scrap metals can find a new life.

Real-life examples of exaptation:

• Biological Exaptation: feathers evolved for insulation and mating rituals in dinosaurs. They were later co-opted for flight in birds, a different function that completely revolutionized their ecology. The swim bladder in fish was initially used to regulate buoyancy. In some species, the bladder evolved into lungs to facilitate breathing in oxygen-poor environments.

• Technological Exaptation: post-it notes and smartphones. The adhesive was originally developed for use in the aerospace industry. It was found to be too weak for its intended purpose. Repurposed as a low-tack adhesive for reminders, it become a staple office supply, the post-it note. Smartphones were designed primarily as communication devices. Nowadays they are multi-functional machines of photography, navigation, gaming, and more, reaching far beyond their initial purpose.

• Cultural Exaptation: factories were built for manufacturing goods. Now they are transformed into creative hubs, art galleries, and coworking spaces in urban areas. Social media platforms like Facebook were designed for connecting friends and sharing life updates. Today they serve as major channels of marketing and political campaigns.

How you can use exaptation as a mental model: (1) identify liquid strengths — analyze your assets, skills and technologies to see where underlying features can be applied to different problems (e.g. using a desk lamp as lighting for photography); (2) challenge tradition — question whether the conventional use of a tool is the only or the best way to leverage it, brainstorming alternative applications that might bring you more benefit from your existing resources; (3) change it up — encourage experimentation in your team, supporting pilot projects and hackathons where unconventional uses of existing products are explored; (4) cross-pollinate ideas — draw inspiration from different industries to see how you could combine tools in different ways; (5) make a prototype — if you find a new use for an old tool, test the idea, and make sure your imagined application meets a new need.