Finches found on the isolated Galapagos island are different species with different beak sizes and shapes, but are otherwise similar to a finch species found on the South American mainland. What might be the cause of the differences in the development of the beaks of these Galapagos finches?

Question

Finches found on the isolated Galapagos island are different species with different beak sizes and shapes, but are otherwise similar to a finch species found on the South American mainland. What might be the cause of the differences in the development of the beaks of these Galapagos finches?

f The original source of the finches
g The type of predators found on the islands
h The different types of food available on the islands
j The differences in the types of nests the birds built

Answer 1

h The different types of food available on the islands. The beak size and shape of finches are often adapted to the specific types of food they consume, so the availability of different types of food on the Galapagos islands compared to the South American mainland could have led to the development of different beak sizes and shapes in the finches on the islands.