Biology 2012 JAMB Past Questions - Question 50: From his study of Galapagos finches, Darwin derived his theory of evolution from

Correct Answer

C

Explanation

fossils are hard remains of imprint of organisms preserved mainly in sedimentary rock. Darwins finches (variety of birds)are believed to have originated from a single ancestral species or bird which travelled from mainland to get to an Island called Galapagos. This single ancestral bird in the absence of other birds gave birth to 13 species of birds that- occupydifferent ecological niches (i.e different modes of feedings).i) Large ground finch or bird with stout beak similar to the ancestral species forcrushing seeds.ii) Cactus ground finch or bird with long slender beak for sucking neclar from cactus flowers.iii) Vegetarian tree finch (bird) with parrot like beaks for eating buds and fruitsiv) Woodpecker finch or bird with probing beaks for boring holes into woods to eat up insects and their larvae. Comparative physiology is the scientific study of the normal functions of living things. There are similarities in the physiology of organisms; I)DNA is universal in all organisms. ii) They store energy in form of ATP. iii) They have enzymes which function alike. Comparative embryology Embryology is the study of the development of the embryo. It shows that the early stages or embryos of many animals withbackbones are very similar and each has tail and gill slits which appear later.Comparative anatomy is the comparative study of the structures of different organisms. Vertebrate animals show that there are striking similarities in the body parts or structures of animals with backbones e.g the limbs of reptiles, birds and mammals such as the fore-arms for landing, wings for flying in birds, legs in mammals for walking and flippers for swimming in whales.