genetic variation
"Genetic variation is like money in the bank for an animal against times of environmental change. The more variation a species has in essential characteristics like foot shape, leg length, jaw size, olfactory sensitivity, hearing acuity, fur density, etc., all products of random genetic mutations, the more likely it is that some of these traits will confer a survival advantage when the environment changes. This ensures that some members of the species survive even if others of its kind cannot."
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.