NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -From this one migrant species would come many–at least 13 species of finch evolving from the single ancestor. This process in which one species gives rise to multiple species that exploit different niches is called adaptive radiation.

Detailed explanation-2: -Darwin’s finches are a classic example of adaptive radiation. The ecological diversity of the Galápagos in part explains that radiation, but the fact that other founder species did not radiate suggests that other factors are also important.

Detailed explanation-3: -Evolution in Darwin’s finches is characterized by rapid adaptation to an unstable and challenging environment leading to ecological diversification and speciation. This has resulted in striking diversity in their phenotypes (for instance, beak types, body size, plumage, feeding behavior and song types).

Detailed explanation-4: -The phenomenon of adaptive radiation was first observed by Darwin when he travelled to a place called Galapagos Island. There he observed that there were finches with different types of beaks. So, he concluded that all of these inches radiated on the same island from a single ancestor Finch.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Galápagos Islands’ 14 species of finches all evolved from one ancestral species, which arrived from the South American mainland about two to three million years ago. That original species branched out into many others, with each one specialized for different roles.