Finch species living on the Galapagos Islands exhibit a variety of beak types that work for different foods. Finches that eat seeds and plant parts have beaks of the shorter, thicker variety while finches that eat insects and other small organisms have thin, pointed beaks. Over the last century the percentages of finch species have drastically changed on one island. At one time, Finch 4 comprised over 75% of the finch population on the island. Today, Finch 4 is virtually extinct. What conclusion can we reach about the conditions on this island?

Question

Finch species living on the Galapagos Islands exhibit a variety of beak types that work for different foods. Finches that eat seeds and plant parts have beaks of the shorter, thicker variety while finches that eat insects and other small organisms have thin, pointed beaks. Over the last century the percentages of finch species have drastically changed on one island. At one time, Finch 4 comprised over 75% of the finch population on the island. Today, Finch 4 is virtually extinct. What conclusion can we reach about the conditions on this island?

A) There is an abundance of insects.
B) There are a greater number of plant species.
C) The insect populations have been severely limited.
D) Plants have died out and there are only insects for food.

B?

Answer 1

It is impossible to draw a conclusion from the given information about plant species or their numbers. The extinction of Finch 4 could be due to a variety of factors, but it is most likely that the change in the percentage of finch species is due to a lack of available food for Finch 4, which suggests a decrease in the insect population, option C. Therefore, the correct conclusion is that the insect populations have been severely limited.