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Charles Darwin studied finches on the Galapagos Islands - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 4 - 2017 - Paper 1
Question 4
Charles Darwin studied finches on the Galapagos Islands. The diagram shows the beak shapes and the food source of some of these finches. feeds on leaves feeds ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Charles Darwin studied finches on the Galapagos Islands - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 4 - 2017 - Paper 1
Step 1
Explain how natural selection resulted in the different beak shapes of these finches.
Answer
Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. In the case of the finches studied by Darwin:
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Variation in Beak Shapes: There is variation in beak shapes among the finches, with some having longer beaks for accessing food in crevices, while others have shorter, stronger beaks for cracking seeds.
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Environmental Factors: Different food sources available in the Galapagos Islands—such as seeds, insects, and fruit—create pressure on the finches to adapt.
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Survival and Reproduction: Finches with beak shapes suited for specific food types are more likely to survive in their niches and reproduce. For example, finches with strong beaks are more successful at cracking tough seeds and therefore have a better chance of survival during droughts when this food is scarce.
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Inheritance of Traits: The advantageous beak shape is passed on to the next generation. Over time, this leads to the evolution of distinct beak shapes in different populations of finches, as those traits become prevalent in the breeding population.