According to Darwin, the 14 species of finches on the Galapagos Islands resemble each other and the finches along the coast of the South American mainland due to which of the following?Multiple choice question.The finches all have a similar diet.The finches are descended from a relatively recent (several million years) common ancestor.The finches have independently evolved similar characteristics.The climate on the Galapagos Islands is similar to the climate on the South American mainland.
Question
According to Darwin, the 14 species of finches on the Galapagos Islands resemble each other and the finches along the coast of the South American mainland due to which of the following?Multiple choice question.The finches all have a similar diet.The finches are descended from a relatively recent (several million years) common ancestor.The finches have independently evolved similar characteristics.The climate on the Galapagos Islands is similar to the climate on the South American mainland.
Solution
The correct answer is: The finches are descended from a relatively recent (several million years) common ancestor.
According to Darwin's theory of evolution, species that share a common ancestor will have similar characteristics. This is due to the process of descent with modification, where traits from the ancestor are passed down to its descendants. In the case of the Galapagos finches, they are believed to have descended from a common ancestor that lived on the South American mainland. Over time, they evolved different characteristics to adapt to their specific environments on the Galapagos Islands, but they still retain some similarities due to their shared ancestry.
Similar Questions
What did Darwin observe about the finches he collected from the Galápagos Islands?a. They all had identical beak shapesb. They were unrelated to each otherc. They evolved from South American speciesd. They had different beak shapes suited to their diet
Why did Darwin infer that finches on Galápagos islands had undergone evolution by natural selection?Multiple choice question.Because they had the same beaks regardless of their food source.Because they all looked nearly identical.Because they were found on an island but not on the mainland.Because of the close correspondence between their beaks and their food.
There are thirteen species of finches on the Galápagos Islands. These species must have originated from a few birds of the same species that made their way from South America over 500 miles of ocean. This is an example of what?Group of answer choicesbiogeographyfossilsmutationnatural selection
Finches on the Galapagos islands exhibit remarkable variation in the shape of their beaks. What best explains this variation?Multiple choice question.Differences in their feeding habitsSubtle differences in the climate of different Galapagos islandsDifferences in their predatorsDifferences in their breeding strategies
How did natural selection shape the evolution of finches on the Galápagos Islands?Multiple choice question.Several different bird species migrated from the mainland to the Galápagos Islands and occupied the habitats to which they were best suited.Birds with different heritable differences were able to better survive and reproduce in different habitats.
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