Running head: EVOLUTION IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 1 EVOLUTION IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 5 Evolution In The Galapagos Islands Melissa Vaccaro D’Youville College Galapagos Islands are situated in Southern America, in the Pacific Ocean, 1046.07 kilometers from the coast of Ecuador. The Galapagos Islands are cut off from all other groups of islands or land form. There are four different reasons as to why the Galapagos Islands are very important. First, the Galapagos Islands are very isolated; they are home for dozens of animal and plant species that can never be found in any other part of the world (Larson, 2001). For instance, the largest reptile in the world, which has a longer lifespan than all animals in the world is the Galapagos Tortoise found in the Galapagos Islands. According to Larson (2001) the second, history of the development natural selection started in Galapagos Islands in 1835 on the HMS Beagle when Darwin visited Galapagos for five weeks. Initially, Charles had a belief that every species was created by God. Nevertheless, he reasoned accurately after seeing and studying differences among same species from different islands, that a natural process made more sense. Nonetheless, he ultimately came up with a new ideas and questions that needed many answers by thinking that almost all species emerged through a natural procedure via a natural selection. Currently, Darwin’s Finches is still being used as an example in different fields of science (Larson, 2001). Third reason Galapagos Islands are very important is that the Galapagos Islands are volcanic just like Islands of Hawaii. Deep in the earth’s crust, below the pacific tectonic, where the magma flows to the surface, there is a geological hotspot that does not move. Nonetheless, new volcanic islands start to emerge beneath the sea up to when they are finally poke at the top of the surface to develop a new Galapagos islands as the Pacific plate shifts from west to east (Larson, 2001). The westernmost island is the island of Fernandina, is the youngest of the islands. Geologically, it is approximated to be more than 750,100 years old. The first islands to be formed off to the east are approximated to be more than 2.5 million years old. Walsh & Mena (2013) assert that the last reason, which makes the Galapagos Islands to be more significant is that its climate is affected by two major ocean currents. To start with, the Humboldt Current from Antarctica which comes from the south and the second; from the western side comes a deep-water current. This cold deep water winds comes with a huge distribution of minerals and nutrients, which feed the bottom of the food chain upon reaching the islands. This is therefore, the reason as to why the western waters of the Galapagos are different from those of other marine life. According to Walsh & Mena (2013), all people who visit the Galapagos Islands cannot but help wonder how different creatures came into existence, and they ...

1. Running head: EVOLUTION IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
1
EVOLUTION IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
5
Evolution In The Galapagos Islands
Melissa Vaccaro
D’Youville College
Galapagos Islands are situated in Southern America, in the
Pacific Ocean, 1046.07 kilometers from the coast of Ecuador.
The Galapagos Islands are cut off from all other groups of
islands or land form. There are four different reasons as to why
the Galapagos Islands are very important. First, the Galapagos
Islands are very isolated; they are home for dozens of animal
and plant species that can never be found in any other part of
the world (Larson, 2001). For instance, the largest reptile in the
world, which has a longer lifespan than all animals in the world
is the Galapagos Tortoise found in the Galapagos Islands.
According to Larson (2001) the second, history of the
development natural selection started in Galapagos Islands in
1835 on the HMS Beagle when Darwin visited Galapagos for
five weeks. Initially, Charles had a belief that every species
was created by God. Nevertheless, he reasoned accurately after
seeing and studying differences among same species from
different islands, that a natural process made more sense.
Nonetheless, he ultimately came up with a new ideas and
questions that needed many answers by thinking that almost all
species emerged through a natural procedure via a natural
selection. Currently, Darwin’s Finches is still being used as an
example in different fields of science (Larson, 2001).

2. Third reason Galapagos Islands are very important is that the
Galapagos Islands are volcanic just like Islands of Hawaii.
Deep in the earth’s crust, below the pacific tectonic, where the
magma flows to the surface, there is a geological hotspot that
does not move. Nonetheless, new volcanic islands start to
emerge beneath the sea up to when they are finally poke at the
top of the surface to develop a new Galapagos islands as the
Pacific plate shifts from west to east (Larson, 2001). The
westernmost island is the island of Fernandina, is the youngest
of the islands. Geologically, it is approximated to be more than
750,100 years old. The first islands to be formed off to the east
are approximated to be more than 2.5 million years old.
Walsh & Mena (2013) assert that the last reason, which makes
the Galapagos Islands to be more significant is that its climate
is affected by two major ocean currents. To start with, the
Humboldt Current from Antarctica which comes from the south
and the second; from the western side comes a deep-water
current. This cold deep water winds comes with a huge
distribution of minerals and nutrients, which feed the bottom of
the food chain upon reaching the islands. This is therefore, the
reason as to why the western waters of the Galapagos are
different from those of other marine life.
According to Walsh & Mena (2013), all people who visit the
Galapagos Islands cannot but help wonder how different
creatures came into existence, and they would not be the first
regardless of whether they are in the sea looking at the violate
straight pupil of the octopus, watching how the marine iguana is
washed by a wave moving at the algae, or seeing a serene
wizened tortoise. According to Darwin, it is hard to believe
that the plants and animals that arrived luckily at the Galapagos
Islands hoped at all that they will establish a dynasty of
descendants in such a harsh environment (Walsh & Mena,
2013). Nonetheless, the fact still remains that bringing more

3. wonder in the course of his visit, that life exists with such
variety in an atmosphere, which appears to give less.
Apparently, a number of the first arrivals to the Galapagos
Islands came at the wrong period; a period that there was not a
mate to greet them, there was no plant to feed on, and also
lacked a soil to grow or land on. Normally, the first life to
remain was a pioneer species over a period of many years,
which opportunity led birds in a storm, brought seeds across
from the continent, and brought sea lions and penguins in the
currents (Walsh & Mena, 2013). The pioneer species were
species that managed to survive out of apparently nothing, like
flora and fauna growing out of lava. They lived to die and
leave their organic material for the next group of immigrants-
feeding the next flora, the next vegetarian species (James,
2013).
According to James (2013), Darwin’s observations, particularly
on what currently is referred to as Darwin’s Finches and their
methods of adjusting at last offered the background of his
Theory of Natural Selection. During that period, it was an
active move from the common belief that species were
motionless. Summarized, the basis of the idea of evolution of
species is a group of survival and reproduction characteristics.
In almost all populations, the number of species is larger
compared to the resources that are existing and competing for
survival is predictable (James, 2013). Usually, there is a
mutation or variation that can and will happen, which will be in
one way or the other helpful to breeding or survival, and those
with the positive adjustment will have a significant number of
offspring in the normal variation that happens in species.
Offspring will have high possibility of surviving and passing on
their genetics since they are likely to get the same genetic
advantage. The species that adjusted to their environment well,
most adaptive and specified; will survive (James, 2013).

4. Adaptation within the species was more radical since there was
absence of large normal population to serve as a barrier for
variations following years of seclusion on the Galapagos where
small number of a species ought to have existed. Usually,
variations of an ancestor are obvious. It is therefore, obvious
that the Galapagos island was, and still the most important and
unique islands in the history of evolution. The Galapagos
Islands still remain unique place due to its temperatures and
geological activities. It is therefore, a place worth visiting for
tourism and learning proposes.
References
James, M. (2013).Galápagos marine invertebrates: Taxonomy,
biogeography, and evolution in Darwin's islands. (1991).
Boston, MA: Springer US.
Larson, E. J. (2001). Evolution's workshop: God and science on
the Galápagos Islands. New York: Basic Books.
Walsh, S. J., & Mena, C. F. (2013). Science and conservation in
the Galapagos Islands: Frameworks & perspectives. New York:
Springer.
Galapagos Islands
by Melissa VACCARO
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CHARACT ER COUNT 5162
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3 6%
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www.probe.org
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Submitted to Nagle College
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Submitted to Grayslake Community High
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Topics in Geobiology, 1991.
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Galapagos Islandsby Melissa VACCAROGalapagos
IslandsORIGINALITY REPORTPRIMARY SOURCES