A novelty as a new structure or property of an organism that allows it to perform a new function, thus opening a new "adaptive zone". In this reckoning, a novelty allows an organism to exploit a new e...A novelty as a new structure or property of an organism that allows it to perform a new function, thus opening a new "adaptive zone". In this reckoning, a novelty allows an organism to exploit a new ecological resource and should lead to an adaptive radiation.