AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Galápagos tortoises have differently shaped shells depending on which island they inhabit. Tortoises with saddle-shaped shells can reach up to eat plant leaves above their head. Tortoises with dome-shaped shells cannot reach up in this way.

Detailed explanation-2: -Giant tortoises are found only in the Galapagos Islands and prefer to live in dry lowlands, although some are found in the misty highlands on Santa Cruz. They are also found on the islands of Pinzon, Española and Isabela.

Detailed explanation-3: -The different shell types generally occur in different habitats, with saddlebacks occupying drier and lower elevation environments. Domed tortoises are found in more humid, colder and higher habitats. It has been proposed that the shapes are adaptive for distinct feeding niches.

Detailed explanation-4: -Galapagos Islands tortoises evolved with predominately two different type shells, “domed, ” left, and “saddleback.” Dr. Ylenia Chiari’s research suggests the energy exerted by the tortoises as they righted themselves may have led to the differences.

Detailed explanation-5: -Darwin noticed that different tortoise species lived on islands with different environments. He realized that the tortoises had traits that allowed them to live in their particular environments. For example, tortoises that ate plants near the ground had rounded shells and shorter necks.