Question

on his visit to the galapagos islands, darwin observed a variety of similar birds that lived either on the ground or in trees. later, experts classified these birds as finches. darwin had identified 14 distinct finch species, each different from one another and different from finch species that lived on the mainland. the diagram shows four of the galapagos finches, each of which has a different type of beak. the insets compare the beaks to a type of wrench or cutting tool. according to darwin, how do the processes of natural selection and descent with modification help to explain the variety among the galapagos finches?

Explanation:

Natural selection acts on the variation within the finch population. Finches with beak - shapes better suited to their food sources (e.g., different types of seeds, insects) in their specific habitats (ground or tree) were more likely to survive and reproduce. Descent with modification means that offspring inherit traits from their parents with some changes over generations. This led to the development of distinct beak types among the Galapagos finch species.

Answer:

The finches had variations in beak shape. Those with beak shapes suitable for their food sources in their habitats (due to natural selection) survived and passed on their traits (descent with modification), resulting in the variety of beak types and species.