Day 25 - The Galapagos Mockingbird

 (Floreana Mockingbird)
 (Española Mockingbird)
 (Genovesa Mockingbird)
(San Cristóbal Mockingbird)


When people think about Charles Darwin, and evolution, the first animal that comes to mind is the finches. Galapagos finches, also known as Darwin's finches, are a group of small birds that make up 18 species on the islands. Each species has a different size beak, and the different beaks are utilized in different ways. The finch receives credit for being the main animal that inspired Darwin for his Theory of Evolution - how organisms evolve over generations through the inheritance of physical or behavioral traits. The finch is a very cool animal, but it was actually the Galapagos Mockingbird that inspired Darwin!

Darwin noticed very small details between the mockingbird found on the mainland, and the one found on the Galapagos. In addition to this, he also noticed differences between the mockingbirds of the different islands. There are four different species of mockingbirds on the islands; the Floreana, Española, Genovesa, and San Cristóbal Mockingbird. These birds are omnivores; the diet of these birds consist of seeds, invertebrates, eggs, Galapagos Sea Lion placentas, and fruit.They are arguably the most important animal that Darwin collected during his voyage. Without the mockingbirds we may not know as much as we do now on the topic of evolution through natural selection. Do you think you would be able to notice the differences between these mockingbirds?

- Diego

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