Various finch species exist on the Galápagos islands. Finches with beak advantage survived longer and were able to reproduce and pass on their beak shape to offspring more frequently. How does the shape of a finch's beak illustrate the correlation between a specific trait and competitive advantage in a particular environment?(1 point)

Responses

Finches with large beaks specialized in cracking hard seeds, giving them an advantage.
Finches with large beaks specialized in cracking hard seeds, giving them an advantage.

The shape of a finch's beak evolved to attract mates, ensuring the reproductive success of the species.
The shape of a finch's beak evolved to attract mates, ensuring the reproductive success of the species.

Only individuals that had beaks well-adapted to eat food resources found on an island survived and reproduced on that island.
Only individuals that had beaks well-adapted to eat food resources found on an island survived and reproduced on that island.

Finches with smaller beaks were limited to softer, smaller seeds, which restricted their food options during shortages.

1 answer

The most accurate response that illustrates the correlation between a specific trait (the shape of a finch's beak) and competitive advantage in a particular environment is:

Only individuals that had beaks well-adapted to eat food resources found on an island survived and reproduced on that island.

This statement emphasizes the idea of natural selection, where the beak shape directly correlates with the finches' ability to access available food resources, leading to their survival and reproductive success in the specific environment of the Galápagos islands.