Darwin's finches are often used to illustrate evolution. Evaluate the finch beaks shown in the picture. Choose all of the statements that correctly explain the evolution of finch beaks.

B) correctly illustrates the process of natural selection where finches with intermediate beak sizes are favored over those with extreme beak sizes. Over time, this can lead to the emergence of medium beaked birds as the predominant type in the population.
C) demonstrates the concept of natural selection during environmental changes. In this case, drought conditions favor finches with longer beaks, as they are better able to access food sources such as seeds. Finches with shorter beaks may struggle to find enough food and are less likely to survive and reproduce, leading to a decrease in their frequency within the population.

In statement C, the process of natural selection is illustrated. Finches with shorter beaks are at a disadvantage during a drought because they cannot access the available food sources as effectively as those with longer beaks. Consequently, the birds with shorter beaks are more likely to die due to lack of food, reducing their ability to pass on their traits to future generations. This results in an increase in the frequency of longer beaks in the population over time.

The statement E also depicts natural selection in action. The disease outbreak reduces the population of insects, a primary food source for the finches. However, the finches with thicker beaks are able to adapt and access alternative food sources, such as tree bark. As a result, they have a higher chance of survival and reproduction, leading to an increase in the prevalence of thicker beaks in the population.

In conclusion, both scenarios demonstrate how environmental pressures, such as droughts and disease outbreaks drove the evolution of finch beaks through natural selection.

The complete question you are referring to is:

Darwin's finches are often used to illustrate evolution. Evaluate the finch beaks shown in the picture. Choose ALL of the statements that correctly explain the evolution of finch beaks.

A) As the environment changed, the finches grew longer beaks to allow them to get food out of fruits.

B) Finches with longer beaks settled on the same island with smaller beaked birds. Over time, they bred, producing medium beaked birds that became more common in the population.

C) There are finches with different types of beaks in the population. During a drought, those with shorter beaks are not able to find sufficient food and die, leaving them unable to reproduce and pass the trait on to offspring.

D) A random mutation introduced the shorter, thicker beak into the population. However, those with thinner, longer beaks were better able to get nectar from the island's flowers. Those birds with the shorter, thicker beaks were unable to get enough food to survive.

E) A disease swept through the island killing many of the insects that were common on the island, leaving the birds who ate insects from the ground starving. The finches that had thicker beaks and could get food from tree bark were able to continue to survive and reproduce, increasing this trait in the population.