AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -What did Charles Darwin learn from the fossils of a giant armadillo that he found in Argentina? Modern animals may be related to fossilized organisms. What did Charles Darwin observe in finch populations on the Galápagos Islands off the coast of South America? variation.

Detailed explanation-2: -Darwin was delighted by the armadillos he saw scurrying about in Argentina. But most intriguing was the striking similarity of these small, armored mammals to some of the fossils he was unearthing. One such fossil was a glyptodont, an immense shelled animal that looked like a giant armadillo.

Detailed explanation-3: -He discovered giant Pleistocene mammals on the Pampas, described extensive sheets of gravel covering much of Patagonia, and collected Mesozoic and Tertiary fossils for later description by fellow scientists.

Detailed explanation-4: -Fossils document the existence of now-extinct species, showing that different organisms have lived on Earth during different periods of the planet’s history. They can also help scientists reconstruct the evolutionary histories of present-day species.

Detailed explanation-5: -In South America, Darwin found fossils of extinct animals that were similar to modern species. Furthermore, on the Galapagos Islands he noticed many variations of plants and animals that were similar to those he found in South America, suggesting that species adapted over time and to their environment.