Galapagos Island Case Study
Part 1: In the Beginning
1. How did the Galapagos Islands come into existence?
The galapagos islands came into existence from lava formations of the island, similar to Hawaii
2. Were plate tectonics involved?
Plate tectonics were involved as they caused the volcanic eruption
3. How old are the Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos Islands are 478 years old.
4. What kinds of animals and plants are endemic to the islands?
Variety of tortoise, the marine iguana and prickly-pear cactus, white-tipped sharks, Galapagos penguin and masked boobies are endemic to the islands.
5. How do species become endemic?
Species become endemic by the specie growing in only one place
6. Where did the original colonists come from and how did they get to the Galapagos?
The original colonists were Europeans who got there by traveling on boats
7. What kind of special adaptations do the animals and plants have? How do adaptations evolve?
The Finch were adapted to eat different types of food. Adaptations evolve based on natural selection
8. How did these islands figure into Darwin’s ideas on evolution?
The islands figure into Darwin's ideas, because he thought each island had different environmental conditions, leading to different adaptations on each island.
Part 2: Darwin's Finches
1. What is DNA fingerprinting and how is it done?
DNA fingerprinting is used to identify the individual. It is done by taking samples of body tissues or fluids of the individual.
2. How can we measure evolution?
We can measure evolution by the rate of evolution, and the proportion of dominant and recessive genes
3. What is the difference between natural selection and evolution?
Natural selection is when the survival genes of a species are passed on to the next generation, and evolution is when a species changes into something more complex and better
4. What is genetic drift and how could it be involved in evolution?
Genetic drift is the change in frequency of a gene, it can be involved in evolution because with the frequency being high, the organism will have a higher chance to evolve with that gene.
5. What is resource partitioning and character displacement?
Resource portioning is sharing resources between all of the species in an ecosystem that depends on it. Character displacement is when two habitats overlap and those species are left to fight and compete
6. What is sexual selection?
Sexual selection is the process when one species out-reproduces other species, because they are better fit for mating.
7. How might one test if beak size is due to genetic or environmental factors?
You can check and see if the bird's ancestors had the same or similar beak size
8. If hybridization occurs during good times, what does this suggest about the degree of genetic differences between species?
The hybridization would indicate that there is not a large genetic difference between the species
9. What are reproductive isolating mechanisms and how do they evolve?
Isolating mechanisms are characteristics that prevent them from reproducing. It evolves through the conditions of the environment
10. Must populations of finches be separated in order to evolve into different species?
Populations of finches did have to separated in order for the different types of finches to evolve. Some finches ate different food causing the evolution of different beaks
11. What causes an El Niño?
An El Niño is when strong wind blows into the ocean which piles up. The wind will become weaker, which makes not as much cold water to pile up, causing the water to become warmer
Part 3: The Tortoise and the Sea Cucumber
1. Should Kate have chosen to work on a different species other than the Tortoises that are being threatened? Her thesis work might be destroyed by the politics of the islands.
Yes, Kate should stay on the species of the tortoises, because they are really rare animals in the Galapagos.
2. Should Kate get involved in the politics of saving the islands, the way Dian Fossey did in trying to save the Mountain gorilla?
Yes, Kate should get involved in the politics of saving the island because if she's cares that much about it, she should.
3. Should fishing, tourism, or inhabitants be allowed in the islands?
Fishing, tourism, or inhabitants be allowed in the islands because they could go extinct
4. How should the Ecuadorian government deal with the conflicts over the islands?
The Ecuadorian government can show why the islands and its animal inhabitants should be protected.
5. Extinction is a natural phenomenon. Why should we worry about whether a few species on some remote islands in the pacific survive or not?
We should worry about these few species in the island because they demonstrate important scientific ideas. They demonstrate biodiversity and with the extinction of these species the island wouldn't be as interesting.
1. How did the Galapagos Islands come into existence?
The galapagos islands came into existence from lava formations of the island, similar to Hawaii
2. Were plate tectonics involved?
Plate tectonics were involved as they caused the volcanic eruption
3. How old are the Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos Islands are 478 years old.
4. What kinds of animals and plants are endemic to the islands?
Variety of tortoise, the marine iguana and prickly-pear cactus, white-tipped sharks, Galapagos penguin and masked boobies are endemic to the islands.
5. How do species become endemic?
Species become endemic by the specie growing in only one place
6. Where did the original colonists come from and how did they get to the Galapagos?
The original colonists were Europeans who got there by traveling on boats
7. What kind of special adaptations do the animals and plants have? How do adaptations evolve?
The Finch were adapted to eat different types of food. Adaptations evolve based on natural selection
8. How did these islands figure into Darwin’s ideas on evolution?
The islands figure into Darwin's ideas, because he thought each island had different environmental conditions, leading to different adaptations on each island.
Part 2: Darwin's Finches
1. What is DNA fingerprinting and how is it done?
DNA fingerprinting is used to identify the individual. It is done by taking samples of body tissues or fluids of the individual.
2. How can we measure evolution?
We can measure evolution by the rate of evolution, and the proportion of dominant and recessive genes
3. What is the difference between natural selection and evolution?
Natural selection is when the survival genes of a species are passed on to the next generation, and evolution is when a species changes into something more complex and better
4. What is genetic drift and how could it be involved in evolution?
Genetic drift is the change in frequency of a gene, it can be involved in evolution because with the frequency being high, the organism will have a higher chance to evolve with that gene.
5. What is resource partitioning and character displacement?
Resource portioning is sharing resources between all of the species in an ecosystem that depends on it. Character displacement is when two habitats overlap and those species are left to fight and compete
6. What is sexual selection?
Sexual selection is the process when one species out-reproduces other species, because they are better fit for mating.
7. How might one test if beak size is due to genetic or environmental factors?
You can check and see if the bird's ancestors had the same or similar beak size
8. If hybridization occurs during good times, what does this suggest about the degree of genetic differences between species?
The hybridization would indicate that there is not a large genetic difference between the species
9. What are reproductive isolating mechanisms and how do they evolve?
Isolating mechanisms are characteristics that prevent them from reproducing. It evolves through the conditions of the environment
10. Must populations of finches be separated in order to evolve into different species?
Populations of finches did have to separated in order for the different types of finches to evolve. Some finches ate different food causing the evolution of different beaks
11. What causes an El Niño?
An El Niño is when strong wind blows into the ocean which piles up. The wind will become weaker, which makes not as much cold water to pile up, causing the water to become warmer
Part 3: The Tortoise and the Sea Cucumber
1. Should Kate have chosen to work on a different species other than the Tortoises that are being threatened? Her thesis work might be destroyed by the politics of the islands.
Yes, Kate should stay on the species of the tortoises, because they are really rare animals in the Galapagos.
2. Should Kate get involved in the politics of saving the islands, the way Dian Fossey did in trying to save the Mountain gorilla?
Yes, Kate should get involved in the politics of saving the island because if she's cares that much about it, she should.
3. Should fishing, tourism, or inhabitants be allowed in the islands?
Fishing, tourism, or inhabitants be allowed in the islands because they could go extinct
4. How should the Ecuadorian government deal with the conflicts over the islands?
The Ecuadorian government can show why the islands and its animal inhabitants should be protected.
5. Extinction is a natural phenomenon. Why should we worry about whether a few species on some remote islands in the pacific survive or not?
We should worry about these few species in the island because they demonstrate important scientific ideas. They demonstrate biodiversity and with the extinction of these species the island wouldn't be as interesting.