AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Darwin’s finches show a variety of beaks suited for eating large seeds, flying insects and cactus seeds. Ancestral seed-eating stock of Darwin’s finches radiated out from South America mainland to different geographical areas of the Galapagos Islands, where they found competitor-free new habitats.

Detailed explanation-2: -On the Galápagos, finches evolved based on different food sources-long, pointed beaks served well for snatching insects while broad, blunt beaks work best for cracking seeds and nuts.

Detailed explanation-3: -As their name suggests, they feed mostly on Opuntia cacti. When the Opuntia are in flower, the finches feed almost exclusively on pollen and nectar. During other times of the year, they will feed on Opuntia seeds and fruit. They will also feed on a range of other vegetative foods and invertebrates.

Detailed explanation-4: -Answer and Explanation: Mutations (alterations in DNA sequences) occurring due to environmental changes, natural selection, and evolution lead to the development of different types of beaks in the Galapagos Island finches.

Detailed explanation-5: -On the Galapagos Islands, Darwin also saw several different types of finch, a different species on each island. He noticed that each finch species had a different type of beak, depending on the food available on its island. The finches that ate large nuts had strong beaks for breaking the nuts open.