When Charles Darwin discovered the various finch species on the Galápagos islands, he was surprised to find so many different but related species in such a small geographic area. Which of the following best illustrates the correlation between competitive advantage and an individual’s traits in a particular environment?(1 point)
Responses
Different islands had very different food resources available, and only individuals that were adapted to eat those food resources survived and reproduced on that island.
Different islands had very different food resources available, and only individuals that were adapted to eat those food resources survived and reproduced on that island.
Mating behaviors in finch species ensure that different species of finch will not interbreed with one another.
Mating behaviors in finch species ensure that different species of finch will not interbreed with one another.
Competition between different species for food resources led to resource partitioning of the ecosystem.
Competition between different species for food resources led to resource partitioning of the ecosystem.
Finches had no natural predators on the island before Darwin’s voyage, allowing them to prosper on the islands.
5 answers
Different islands had very different food resources available, and only individuals that were adapted to eat those food resources survived and reproduced on that island.
This answer best illustrates the concept of natural selection, which is the process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population over time due to differential reproductive success. In this case, finches with traits that allowed them to effectively compete for and utilize the available food resources on a particular island would be more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring. Over generations, this would lead to the development of distinct finch species with specialized beaks and other characteristics tailored to their specific food sources.
1 answer