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nmdcat.online July 14, 2026

During his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin observed that Galapagos finches on different islands had highly specialized beak shapes. This adaptive radiation is best explained by:

A. The direct inheritance of acquired characteristics driven by food availability.
B. Diversification to exploit different ecological niches and food sources on each island.
✓
C. Frequent genetic drift occurring in a single massive panmictic population.
D. Random geographical distribution of species without any evolutionary relationship.

📝 Explanation

The differing beak morphologies are adaptations developed over generations as ancestral finches colonized islands with distinct food resources (seeds, insects, nectar).

📖 Additional Information

  • The direct inheritance of acquired characteristics driven by food availability.
  • Diversification to exploit different ecological niches and food sources on each island.
  • Frequent genetic drift occurring in a single massive panmictic population.
  • Random geographical distribution of species without any evolutionary relationship.

The differing beak morphologies are adaptations developed over generations as ancestral finches colonized islands with distinct food resources (seeds, insects, nectar).

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