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Darwin’s Finches - College Paper

Darwin’s Finches

On the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean lives thirteen different species of finches. Although not much to look at, these thirteen different species, sporting thirteen distinctly different beaks, provide proof of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. But how did these birds, once sharing the same habitat and species, become so different? This can easily be explained by the idea of speciation.
Speciation is defined as the process by which new species are formed. There are three different types of speciation, Allopatric, Parapatric, and Sympatric. The two most probable modes of speciation are Allopatric and Sympatric. Allopatric speciation occurs when members of the same ...

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These two subspecies have formed on different sides of the Tana River in Kenya. They are phenotypically distinct, and can only produce fertile offspring in zoos.
Sympatric speciation occurs when two segments of the same species occupy a geographical area without interbreeding. Each new species, or subspecies, adapt to a specific environmental niche (adaptive radiation).

Two segments of the same species Adapted to different niches

An example of sympatric speciation is the genus Rhagoletis. These are a group of small flies whose larvae feed on developing fruit. The Rhagoletis pomonella is a species that feeds on hawthorns. These flies then found a new niche and began feeding on apples in orchards located in Massachusetts and Connecticut. There are now two species of the Rhagoletis pomonella. Reproductively isolated by their mating behavior.
These two modes of speciation are the basis of Lack’s ideas of the Theory of the Speciation of Darwin’s Finches. He argues that the ...

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 9/8/2007 05:07:40 PM
Category: Science & Nature
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 964
Pages: 4

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