Adrian Melendez

Anthropology 1020-403
Instructor: Jude Higgins
09-24-2018

Darwin’s Finches

Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace each independently came up with the same
theory of Natural Selection. Darwin came up with his theory just a little earlier than Wallace but
hesitated publishing in fear of upsetting his religious wife and going against the status quo at the
time in England. They both noticed variation in all species. During his 5-year journey on the
HMS beagle, Darwin noticed 13 varieties of finches. All from the various Galapagos Islands. He
noticed they all resembled a species from the mainland of Central South America. He
hypothesized that different beak size among the finches represented different food sources in
their environment. He believed that the environment had an impact on species of organisms
(finches). Both Darwin and Wallace were inspired by English economist Thomas Malthus ideas
about population size and food resources. The idea that food resources kept population size in
check. With other’s previous work and these ideas, the two men formulated the same hypothesis.
Basically, there is variation in within all species. Natural Selection acts on variation. More
offspring are born than can survive in all species. Food resources don’t keep up with
reproductive rates. Organisms within a species that have favorable traits in certain environments
tend to have greater fitness and reproductive success. They contribute more of their genetic
information to the population than those with less favorable traits. Over time (millions of years)
and due to geographic isolation, a species will begin to change into a distinct species that will no
longer be able to breed and reproduce fertile offspring with that original species.

Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace helped to change the attitudes that many held at the
time regarding species and the fixity of species. It went against the ruling elites in England who
also feared wild ideas like Jean Lamarck’s, inheritance of acquired characteristics. The role of
Natural Selection in evolutionary thought was so significant, it is still accepted today and
continues to be tested. It was brave for both men to publicize these ideas knowing how it could
change or hurt their individual reputations. Darwin within his marriage and in his social status in
England. Wallace maybe less so because of his already modest upbringing. Still it was not a
good time in history to go against the English monarchy or the Catholic church.

It would be unlikely that more than one flock of birds would all find the same chain of
islands so far away from the mainland of South America at the same time. It was by shear luck
that the flock of finches from the mainland found the islands so far away in the first place. It
would seem more probable that any flock would simply die of exhaustion or get lost. I think a
combination of both would happen. Many from the original flock likely died off, fell into the
ocean, starved and drowned. Over time the probability would increase so eventually it might be
possible to see more flocks find the island. I just think it was incredibly lucky for the finches
from the first flock to land on the Galapagos islands. 600 miles is no short distance so that was
luck, chance or whatever you’d call it. Plain and simple in my opinion.

One reason I think there were no predators on the island would be the distance from the
mainland. It would be a very long journey for any predator who’d likely swim to make it that far
away. How would it even know there was islands with tons of birds to eat on it so far away? It
seems intuitive that it just wouldn’t happen. Also, predatory birds would probably not venture
that far out to see from the mainland especially when their prey was already there at home away
from the islands. Another reason was the timing of it all. It was pretty much luck again. Right
place, right time. The Galapagos are a chain of volcanic islands that were probably newly formed
when the finches arrived. Relatively knew with just vegetation on the island so it wouldn’t be
enticing for predators to risk so much for the small chance of finding prey.

Due to environmental pressures the finches that were on these islands were better suited
for the conditions there. They had the adaptations in beak size related to food sources available.
They reproduced more and had greater fitness than birds with less favorable traits who
reproduced less. Also, very few birds probably migrated there and those that did were very lucky
to reach the Galapagos. So, when Natural Selection acted the favorable traits, less favorable traits
weren’t passed on to the population’s gene pool. Eventually any competition would just die off.
 Depending on the weather conditions on the islands rather it was drought or flooding
some sources of food would be more plentiful than others. Birds that ate food that was less
plentiful due to drought might die off, while food that was available only to birds that could eat it
would flourish.

Finches that were slightly different from island to island were that way because they were
geographically isolated from each other. So, they would also become reproductively isolated
from each other and eventually over many generations become different species. All the species
of Galapagos Islands finches evolved in different ecological niches.