Charles Darwin studied the variety of finches on the Galapagos Islands - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 2 - 2013 - Paper 1
Question 2
Charles Darwin studied the variety of finches on the Galapagos Islands. He used this information to develop his theory of evolution. Some of the finches are shown in... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Charles Darwin studied the variety of finches on the Galapagos Islands - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 2 - 2013 - Paper 1
Step 1
State the genus and the species of the large cactus ground finch.
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Answer
Genus: Geospiza
Species: conirostris
Step 2
Explain how different beak shapes could enable different species to co-exist.
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Answer
Different beak sizes and adaptations allow finches to access a variety of food sources. For example, one finch might have a beak suited for cracking seeds, while another might be adapted to probe for insects. This specialization reduces competition for food between the species.
Step 3
Name one mechanism that may have led to the evolution of new finch species.
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