Penguins are remarkably well adapted to their icy environment, thanks to
millions of years of evolution.
(something is)
remarkably well (done)
"Remarkably" is a word that means something similar to
"very" or "quite". It also expresses a feeling of surprise.
"Remarkably ___ is not as common as "very" or
"quite", though. It's mostly used within certain phrases like
"remarkably well ___". Some examples of this include:
Plant
remains, textiles, leather, and even human bodies have been remarkably well
preserved by the dry desert climate.
Your
children are remarkably well behaved.
Their meat
and vegetable dishes were remarkably well flavored.
"Well adapted", as used in the example at top, is another common
phrase used with "remarkably".
To be "adapted to" an environment means to be able to live in
that environment well because of certain qualities you have. For example,
penguins are adapted to cold environments because they have thick feathers that
keep them warm.
People can also "be adapted to" an environment. This can mean
either that they are physically adapted, or that they are mentally able to
handle a situation.
"Evolution" is a scientific term. It means the way that animals and plants
change over time, to become better adapted to their environments. For example,
people sometimes like to talk about why humans first started to walk on two
feet instead of using all 4 hands like apes do.
Evolution takes a long time to work, so it's common to talk about
"millions of years of evolution", or "hundreds of thousands of
years of evolution.
Society
expects us to control our urges, but you can't fight against millions of years
of evolution.
You can say what was responsible for something, or what caused it, using
"thanks to ___".
This phrase works best for talking about the cause of something good:
We've raised
over $130,000 thanks to your help and donations.
I can watch
thousands of movies and TV shows instantly in my living room thanks to this
device.
But there are also times when you use this phrase to talk about the cause
of something bad:
We had to
re-do our entire bathroom and hallway floors thanks to that water leak.
We missed
the first half thanks to the traffic.
You can use "thanks to ___" to say that a person was responsible,
or a thing:
I know how
to do it thanks to you.
She's in
much better shape now, thanks to the dance classes she's been taking.