In biology, a characteristic of an organism that arose through its being naturally selected for its current use (see Darwinism ). This is contrasted with an exaptation or feature that is co-opted for a use: an exaptation is a feature that will have arisen by natural selection, but for another use than the one that it currently has. A nonaptation is a feature that exists without promoting fitness for survival at all.
Philosophy dictionary. Academic. 2011.