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)

Question

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.

Finches had no natural predators on the island before Darwin’s voyage, allowing them to prosper on the islands.
Finches had no natural predators on the island before Darwin’s voyage, allowing them to prosper on the islands.

Competition between different species for food resources led to resource partitioning of the ecosystem.

Answer 1

The response that best illustrates the correlation between competitive advantage and an individual’s traits in a particular environment is:

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 response emphasizes how the specific traits of the finches (such as beak shape and size) were directly related to their ability to exploit the available food resources in different environments, leading to natural selection and the evolution of diverse species.