The evolution of numerous species, such as Darwin's finches from a single ancestor is called adaptive radiation.
The finches were different species that shared a common ancestor
They all came from a similar ancestor of bacteria and that lead to the finches beaks being of certain type and ability to reproduce
Observation of finches on the Galapagos Islands.
There were many islands and finches on each. The finches did not fly from their home island to other islands. Different islands had different food for the finches. Darwin noticed that where there were plenty of honeysuckle flowers for the birds to feed on, the finches there had long beaks. On islands where the best bird-food was small seeds, the finches had beaks more like canary beaks, short and strong. Darwin also noticed that the finches were all from the same original flock and had probably mixed up when the islands were closer together and they could fly to any island to feed. So Darwin concluded that when the finches became isolated on different islands, their beaks evolved to be most suitable for eating the food available. The birds with the wrong beaks died young and had few chicks and these chicks unfortunately for them inherited their parents silly beaks. The birds with the right beaks fed well and had lots of chicks who inherited good beaks. So eventually nearly all the finches on any given island had the most suitably shaped beaks.
Famously Charles Darwin studied some finches that he collected when he visited the Galapagos Islands during his voyage on the Beagle. He preserved the specimens he had collected and studied them when he returned to England. He used his observations of the variations in these finches as part of his evidence supporting his theory of evolution. He also studied the breeding of pigeons and domestic poultry.
The evolution of numerous species, such as Darwin's finches from a single ancestor called adaptive radiation.
Peter R. Grant has written: 'Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches' -- subject(s): Ecology, Evolution, Finches 'Evolution on Islands' 'The evolution of Darwin's finches, mockingbirds and flies' -- subject(s): Finches, Evolution (Biology), Evolution, Flies, Mockingbirds
how finches use their beaks
South America
speciation
Galapagos finches
It is thought that the finches have a common ancestor. Separated on different islands, each island eventually produced different finches.
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a common ancestor
That the finches were similar to the ones on the mainland, but had adapted to the island environment.
The finches were different species that shared a common ancestor
originated from a common ancestor