If the HMS Beagle had completely bypassed the Galapagos Islands, Darwin would ha

Question

If the HMS Beagle had completely bypassed the Galapagos Islands, Darwin would have had a much poorer understanding of the...
-tendency of organisms to produce the exact number of offspring that the environment can support.
-lack of genetic variation among all members of a population.
-unlimited resources that support population growth in most natural environments.
-ability of populations to undergo modification as they adapt to a particular environment.
-relative stability of a well-adapted population's numbers over many generations.

Explanation / Answer

The answer is the fourth one down. The ability of populations to undergo modification as they adapt to a particular environment. The finches found on the Galapagos were different (evolved) from those on the mainland, because they had adapted to a different environment. The first option is incorrect because organisms produce more offspring than can be supported to increase the odds of at least a few surviving. Two is wrong because they is genetic variation within populations--which helps prevent rampant spread of disease and such. Three is wrong because there are never unlimited resources, and five is wrong because darwin didn't get to stay long enough to study numerous generations and their stability--he only had to time to make observations concerning the variations of the Galapagos finches compared to the mainland finches.

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