After the drought of 1977,researchers hypothesized that on Daphne Major,medium ground finches with large,deep beaks survived better than those with smaller beaks did because they could more easily crack and eat the tough Tribulus cistoides fruits.If this hypothesis is true,what would you expect to observe if a population of these medium ground finches colonizes a nearby island where Tribulus cistoides is the primary available food in all years?
Assume that (1)even the survivors of the 1977 drought sometimes had difficulty cracking the tough T.cistoides fruits and would eat other seeds when offered a choice;and (2)food availability is the primary limit on finch fitness on this new island.
A)evolution of yet larger,deeper beaks over time
B)evolution of smaller,pointier beaks over time
C)random fluctuations in beak size and shape
D)no change in beak size and shape

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the hypothesis is true, and medium ground finches with larger and deeper beaks have a higher fitness, they will produce more offspring with similar traits. Over time, this will result in the evolution of yet bigger, deeper beaks in the population. Therefore, if the population of medium ground finches colonizes a nearby island with Tribulus cistoides as the primary available food in all years, one would expect to see the evolution of yet larger and deeper beaks over time.

After the Drought of 1977,researchers Hypothesized That on Daphne Major,medium