Galapagos Finches

What is the main focus of the research conducted by Peter and Rosemary Grant?

• The migration patterns of birds

• The diet of mammals

• How new species arise

• The behavior of butterflies

What did the Grants discover about finch beak size during the drought of 1977?

• Finches with smaller beaks had a higher survival rate

• Finches with larger beaks had a higher survival rate

• Beak size decreased overall

• Beak size did not change

How did the unusually strong El Niño in 1983 affect the finch population?

• It resulted in more finches with smaller beaks surviving

• It led to an increase in larger seeds

• It had no impact on the finch population

• It caused a decrease in finch population

What role do songs play in the mating behavior of finches?

• Songs attract predators

• Songs help finches find food

• Songs have no role in mating

• Songs keep different species from mating

What general insight does the history of the Galapagos finches provide?

• The importance of migration

• The role of diet in evolution

• The impact of climate change on species

• The relationship between environmental diversity and the creation of new species

Examine the graph.

  Summarize what happened to the finch population between 1976 and 1978:

1) How did the finch population change between 1976 and 1978?

2) What trait was a better adaptation at the beginning of this time?

3) What changed about the environment between 1976 and 1978?

4) What trait was a better adaptation after this change?

5) How did this trait become more frequent in the population?