About thirteen different species of finches inhabit the Galápagos Islands today, all descendants of a common ancestor from the South American mainland that arrived a few million years ago. Genetically, there are four distinct lineages, but the thirteen species are currently classified among three genera. The first lineage to diverge from the ancestral lineage was the warbler finch (genus Certhidea). Next to diverge was the vegetarian finch (genus Camarhynchus), followed by five tree finch species (also in genus Camarhynchus) and six ground finch species (genus Geospiza). If the six ground finch species have evolved most recently, then which of these is the most logical prediction? O O O O A. They should be limited to the six islands that most recently emerged from the sea. B. The chances of hybridization between two ground finch species should be less than the chances of hybridization between two tree finch species. C. They should share fewer anatomical homologies with each other than they share with the tree finches. D. Their genomes should be more similar to each other than are the genomes of the five tree finch species

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Answer:

The answer is D.

Explanation:

Species can, given enough time, get affected for various reasons and end up as resulting in two or more different species that have descended from the same point. And the more time goes by, the more difference there will be among their genotypes and therefore fenotypes.

The example given in the question depicts a situation where a single species branched into thirteen different ones and the most logical prediction given the information in the question is that their genomes should be similar to each other than the genomes of the other five species because their evolution into different species is the most recent one therefore more similarities should be present.

I hope this answer helps.

Finches were the first organisms on which Darwin studied evolution and adaptation. In the given question, the six ground finch species belonging to the genus Geospiza have shown recent evolution, which means species can be genetically related.

Adaptation: A key to Evolution?

  • In the given example of finches, Darwin studied that 13 different species are living in the Galapagos Islands. These species are descendants of a common ancestor.

  • The finches belonging to the Genus Geospiza are six ground finch species. The six ground species of finches have evolved recently, which means that these six species have genomes more similar to each other than the other genomes of other finch species.

Thus, the theory of evolution states that individual species are not identical, traits are inherited, and the organisms better suited to the environment will survive more.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option D.

Learn more about evolution here:

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