Evolutionary adaptations of Geospiza Finches of the Galapagos.

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Kenny Dike

Evolutionary Adaptations of Geospiza Finches of the Galapagos

Purpose:        To investigate the probability of evolutionary adaptations in a simulated study of the finches of the Galapagos Islands.

Hypothesis:        There is a link between the food available on each island, the shape of the finches beak and the habitat the bird lives in.  The “link” is natural selection as explained by Darwin.

Procedure:        The various tools (i.e. pliers, forceps, etc.) provided will represent the beaks of the six species of Geospiza.  Each student will be a member of one of the six species and will “forage” for seeds from the provided tray placed in the center of a table.  Only species found on a certain Galapagos’ island will compete for these seeds.  The foraging will run for 30 seconds.  During this 30 seconds period, each “species” member will try to move as many seeds from the center tray into their petri dish as possible.  Three individuals fro each species will provide data for each Island.

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Evaluation:        Conclusion:  Using Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the amount of food that each finch consumed on their respective island allows us to draw many conclusions about the food available on each island, the shape of the finches beak, the habitat the bird lives in, and their evolutionary adaptations.  Nature selects the best adapted varieties of species to survive and to reproduce.  This process is known as natural selection. The beak varieties of the finches were associated with their diets, based on different foods.  When the finches reached the islands, they dispersed to different environments where they had to adapt to ...

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