ACTIVITY 6: Beaks as Tools: Selective Advantage in Changing Environments

Question 1

This activity focuses on the medium ____ (Geospiza fortis), a bird species that lives on the Galápagos
Islands in the Pacific

Answer 1

ground finch

Question 2

small seed is represented by?

Answer 2

rice

Question 3

Large seeds are represented by?

Answer 3

beans

Question 4

Small beaks are represented by?

Answer 4

Tweezers

Question 5

Due to the drought in 1997, the ____ seeds were hard to find and this made it tough for the finches, so
they started eating more of the ___ seeds. The finches with the large beaks had an advantage since they
can crack large seeds easily. Hence, more of them would survive and the average beak size in the finch
population got bigger.

Answer 5

Small seeds ; large seeds;

Question 6

in the rainy season during 1983, the ___ seeds were hard to find and
the small seeds became abundant. This event caused the finches to eat more of these ___ seeds since they were easier to find. The finches with small beaks now had an advantage since they can pick up and eat small seeds easily. Hence, more of them would survive, and overtime, the average beak size in finch population decreased.

Answer 6

Large seeds; small seeds

Question 7

medium ground finches have __ and __ pointy beaks which are more suitable for breaking seeds

Answer 7

Short; less

Question 8

Cactus Finch has a beak shape that is adapted to its own lifestyle. It has a
___ beak shape that is used to probe into cactus flowers

Answer 8

pointy