Evolutionary Insights from Galápagos Islands Exploration

What observation led Charles Darwin to suspect that organisms change over time during his trip to the Galápagos Islands?

Which specific observation in the Galápagos Islands triggered Charles Darwin's realization that organisms could evolve over time?

During his trip to the Galápagos Islands, the observation that led Charles Darwin to suspect that organisms change over time was the variation in the characteristics of finches between different islands.

On the Galápagos Islands, Darwin noticed that each island had its own unique species of finches with distinct beak shapes and sizes. He observed that the finches' beak adaptations seemed to be correlated with the type of food available on each island.

This observation led him to suspect that the finches had descended from a common ancestor but had adapted to different environments over time.

Darwin realized that the variations in beak characteristics among the finch populations were a result of natural selection.

The finches with beak shapes and sizes that were well-suited to their specific food sources had a better chance of survival and reproduction. This process resulted in beneficial traits being passed on to future generations, leading to changes in the population over time.

This observation of variation and adaptation in the finches of the Galápagos Islands was a crucial piece of evidence that contributed to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.