Question

During a drought on the Galapagos islands, finches with larger beaks were able to crack the large tough seeds produced by plants that survived the dry conditions. This is an example of ____.

1) directional selection
2) genetic drift
3) stabilizing selection
4) a founder effect
5) disruptive selection

Answer 1

The scenario where finches with larger beaks had a survival advantage during a drought on the Galapagos islands is an example of directional selection.

Step-by-step explanation:

During a drought on the Galapagos islands where finches with larger beaks were able to crack the large tough seeds that survived the dry conditions, we witnessed an example of directional selection. Directional selection occurs when environmental pressures favor one extreme of a trait, in this case, larger beak size over smaller ones. This change in average beak size in the finch population is a clear sign of evolutionary adaptation in response to the challenges presented by the drought, as documented by Peter and Rosemary Grant in their studies of the Galapagos finches.