Cultural Adaption Is Faster

• One of the most notable differences between biological and cultural differences is the period of time in which they can occur. Biological adaptation occurs through the process of evolution, and as a result can take millions of years. Individuals that are better suited to an environment are more likely to survive and pass on their genes, slowly advancing the species' ability to adapt. Since cultural adaption occurs through learning and communication with other individuals, an adaption can take place instantly. For example, a person moving to a colder climate can be told by someone else how to dress appropriately for the weather.
  
  

Relationship with Resources

• Biological adaptation allows a species to better take advantage of a specific level of resources in an environment. For example, Darwin's finches developed different types of beaks to eat the specific types of nuts in The Galapagos. A species is limited to the carrying capacity of an environment and the amount of resources available that it has biologically adapted to use. Cultural adaptation, nonetheless, has allowed humans to respond to resource scarcity and increase the availability of resources. By cultivating farms, living in multi-story buildings and using technology, humans have been able to expand the carrying capacity of their environment.
  
  

Level of Adaptability

• Cultural adaptation allows humans to adapt much quicker and to more diverse environments than other species that chiefly rely on biological adaption. The mechanism by which most of the cultural adaptation takes place occurs from the communication of ideas from others, either with language or learned behavior. Technology, such as telephones and the Internet, makes the transmission of ideas and information much more accessible, further increasing the means of cultural adaption. The propensity of adaption through biological means, however, is much smaller due to the extensive time required.
  
  

Learning Capacity Limits

• In biological adaptation, the genes of a species set the limits of what that individual has the propensity to learn. A salamander does not have the genetic ability to learn to drive a car. Instead, it experiences "programmed learning" in which it discovers how to carry out the functions that allow it to survive, such as how to forage or avoid danger. Cultural adaption creates the opportunity for extensive learning potential, which allow humans to carry out such diverse activities as flying an airplane or building a house.