Explain how competition—both intraspecific and interspecific—drove the evolution

Question

Explain how competition—both intraspecific and interspecific—drove the evolution of Darwin’s finches (below) to develop specialized beak shapes? What do the different species compete for, and why are differences in morphology (e.g. bill shape and size) important?

Woodpecker finch insectivorous ree finch Large insectivorous tree finch Vegetarian tree finch Warbler finch Warbler Insect eaters Fruit eaters Cactus Cactus ground finch Sharp-beaked ground finch Small ground finch Medium ground finch Large ground

Explanation / Answer

Organisms interact with each other by various mechanisms and competition is one of them. Competition can be both intraspecies (within the species) and interspecies (between the species). Competition occurs when the resources like food, water and living space are limited. The organism which is better adapted to the environment with limited resources will survive better. This is according to Darwin's theory of natural selection, "survival of the fittest".

The different types of competition both intraspecies and interspecies has lead to the development of competitive exclusion principle. This principle states that the species which is less adapted will either move away from the area or will die. If two species co-exist in the same environment, they should develop different kinds of specialisations. This is known as character displacement. This is seen in Finches which developed different kinds of beaks for eating different food sources. Darwin's finches are the emblems of evolution. Competition for limited resources both within and between the species are responsible for the development of different beak size and shape.

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