Evolution - Learning assignment 1, The galapagos islands Flashcards
What makes the Galapagos islands a suitable place to observe evolution?
They are isolated, meaning there is little geneflow between the islands and the mainland
What link does Darwin have to the Galapagos islands?
He explored the islands in 1835 and began thinking about his theory of evolution by natural selection
He realised the bill of each finch species on the island was specifically adapted and all species evolved from one common ancestor
Who were Peter and Rosemary Grant and what is their link to the Galapagos
They produced data based on the evolution of the finches living on the Galapagos
What are the steps of evolution?
- Individuals vary in some traits naturally
- Some differences in traits are passed along to offspring
- Different individuals have different numbers of surviving offspring due to making a different amount them or differential survival
- If the trait is linked to survival evolution occurs
What did Peter and Rosemary Grant discover due to their research on the Galapagos
They found over one season the beaks got 0.54mm deeper and 0.39mm longer
They found evolution could be seen over one season and it can happen on a very small scale
