preadaptiveadj.

1906 Philos. Rev. 15 433 Psychology is the science of such matter as is pre-adaptive.

1915 Eugenics Rev. 7 50 One can call indifferent or semi-useful, characters in a species which become evident adaptations on removal to a new habitat or on the acquirement of new habits, preadaptive or prophetic characters, or more briefly, preadaptations.

1969 J. M. Weller Course of Evol. i. 20 Potentially preadaptive mutations..are likely to accumulate within a population as recessives.

1998 Jrnl. Biogeogr. 25 1081/2 We used the polar bear..to consider how their phylogenetic history (i.e. contingent and preadaptive biological attributes) and the geophysical nature of their habitat interact.