Darwin's Finches and Natural Selection

The video discusses Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and the role of natural selection, focusing on Darwin's finches in the Galapagos Islands. Although Darwin was more interested in mockingbirds, the finches became significant due to their varied bill sizes. Peter and Rosemary Grant's research on Daphne Major Island during a drought demonstrated natural selection, where finches with larger bills survived better. The video explains how genotype affects phenotype and highlights the concept of directional selection, showing the finches' evolutionary changes and their ongoing scientific importance.

What was the controversial theory proposed by Charles Darwin?

• Theory of Relativity

• Theory of Evolution via Natural Selection

• Theory of Quantum Mechanics

• Theory of Gravity

Where are Darwin's finches primarily found?

• Falkland Islands

• Canary Islands

• Galapagos Islands

• Hawaiian Islands

Who popularized the term 'Darwin's finches'?

• Charles Darwin

• David Lack

• Rosemary Grant

• Peter Grant

What major event in 1977 affected the finch population on Daphne Major Island?

• Flood

• Volcanic Eruption

• Earthquake

• Drought

What environmental factor acted as a selective agent during the drought on Daphne Major?

• Water availability

• Seed size and hardness

• Predators

• Temperature

What characteristic allowed some finches to survive better during the drought?

• Faster flight

• Louder calls

• Larger and deeper bills

• Bright plumage

What is the genetic material that determines an organism's traits?

• Lipids

• DNA

• Protein

• RNA

What type of natural selection was observed in the finch population?

• Directional selection

• Stabilizing selection

• Disruptive selection

• Balancing selection

What happened to the gene encoding for short bills during the drought?

• It mutated into a new gene

• It remained unchanged

• It decreased towards extinction

• It increased in frequency

What was significant about the selection intensities calculated by Boag and Grant?

• They were the lowest recorded

• They were the highest recorded for a vertebrate population

• They were average compared to other studies

• They were not significant