1. A flock of finches were blown out to sea during a storm and landed on an uninhabited island with abundant food and no predators.
2. The finches thrived on the island, but as their numbers increased, some were forced to fly to nearby islands to find new territory.
3. Over a long period of time, the finches on each island evolved slightly different traits based on the different food sources available, with some finches better adapted to the new foods on each island.