pect ively ▁Arist ot le ' s ▁erg on ▁and ▁morph ê ) ▁was ▁central ▁in ▁bi ological ▁explan ations ▁in ▁classical ▁anti qu ity . ▁In ▁more ▁modern ▁times ▁it ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 ▁C uv ier – Ge off roy ▁debate , ▁where ▁C uv ier ▁argued ▁that ▁an ▁animal ' s ▁structure ▁was ▁driven ▁by ▁its ▁functional ▁needs , ▁while ▁Geoff roy ▁proposed ▁that ▁each ▁animal ' s ▁structure ▁was ▁modified ▁from ▁a ▁common ▁plan .< ref > {{ cite ▁book ▁| author = As ma , ▁S . ▁T . ▁| date = 1 9 9 6 ▁| title = F ollow ing ▁form ▁and ▁function : ▁A ▁philosoph ical ▁arch ae ology ▁of ▁life ▁science ▁| publish er = N orth western ▁University ▁Press ▁| url = https :// books . google . com /? id = de La AAAA MA A J | is bn = 9 7 8 0 8 1 0 1 1 3 9 7 8 ▁}} </ ref > ▁ ▁In ▁evolution ary ▁bi ology ▁Function ▁can ▁be ▁defined ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁ways , ▁including ▁as ▁adaptation , ▁as ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁evolution ary ▁fit ness , ▁in ▁animal ▁behaviour , ▁and , ▁as ▁discussed ▁below , ▁also ▁as ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁caus al ▁role ▁or ▁goal ▁in ▁the ▁philosophy ▁of ▁bi ology . ▁ ▁Ada pt ation ▁ ▁A ▁functional ▁characteristic ▁is ▁known ▁in ▁evolution ary ▁bi ology ▁as ▁an ▁adaptation , ▁and ▁the ▁research ▁strategy