Animals of the Galapagos
Tortoise - The spaniards upon finding the Galapagos Islands named it the galapagos, using the Spanish word for saddle. Tortoises live up to 150 years and are largest among their species. Tortoises have formed friendships with finches and woodpeckers, the birds feed off the parasites and ticks on the larger animals skins; the tortoises stretch out as a signal that the assistance of finches and woodpeckers are needed
They eats plants, herbs, berries, and sometimes the fruit off the cacti although their bodies store enough fat to last a year without food, and months without water making living on archipelago easier.
Galapagos Sea Lion - You can find Sea Lions on all islands on archipelago, but mainly on the Lewood Northern Shore on Espanola.
It takes 3-4 for female sea lions to reach sexual maturity and the ability to live on their own without help from their mothers. Males reach sexual maturity after 7-8 years, and also have to protect their own territory making them more aggressive. Baby sea lions learn to swim in bays first and cannot hunt for their own food until after a couple of years of growth and experience. Currently there are 15,000 - 20,000 sea lions on the islands but unfortunately the constant climate change can be disastrous
Marine Iguana - Only found on galapagos. They along the coast because thats where they find food(Algae and seaweed) and have the adaptive characteristic of salt glands on the nostrils to extract the extra salt intake. Marine Iguanas are cold blooded - outstanding swimmers and divers but can only stay in cold water for 10 minutes. Their dark color allows the sun to warm them up quickly. Prey of the Hawks. Hawk season is the same time as when iguanas keep their eggs, making them an easy target.
Sante Fe Iguana - stronger yellow color and more spikes
Rizarda Iguana - pink
For all 7 types of iguanas the males are larger than females. Their diets relies mainly on flies, scorpions, other insects. Iguanas also have good relationships with sea lions because iguanas eat the flies that are so bothersome to Sea Lions.
Red rock Crab - A curious animal. Eats algae and other marine organisms, and carcass washed on shore. Agile, can move quick in every direction. Young crabs have black coloring, adult crabs have brown/red color.
Brown Pelican - feeds off fish
Flamingos - Come from the caribbean islands
Ducks - Several thousand ducks reside across all the Islands of the Galapagos.
Lava Heron - feeds off fish
Albatros - 12,000 couples breed on espanola, largest bird on the island.
Frigot bird - attack and snatch food from other birds.
Penguin - now an endangered species due to being prey to sea lions and hawks
Black stone turner (bird) - Comes from north america
Woodbee - The only type of bee on the island that pollinates, hence why many of the flowers and plants are yellow in color.
Land on the Galapagos Islands: Throughout the year there are only 3 or 4 months for rainfall resulting in a shortage of water. Lava Rock and Cacti dominate the surrounding land.
Approximately 6 volcanoes erupt on a regular basis. The islands shift because its located on a tectonic plate moving from the west (has the youngest island) to the east (Oldest island - Espanola).
They eats plants, herbs, berries, and sometimes the fruit off the cacti although their bodies store enough fat to last a year without food, and months without water making living on archipelago easier.
Galapagos Sea Lion - You can find Sea Lions on all islands on archipelago, but mainly on the Lewood Northern Shore on Espanola.
It takes 3-4 for female sea lions to reach sexual maturity and the ability to live on their own without help from their mothers. Males reach sexual maturity after 7-8 years, and also have to protect their own territory making them more aggressive. Baby sea lions learn to swim in bays first and cannot hunt for their own food until after a couple of years of growth and experience. Currently there are 15,000 - 20,000 sea lions on the islands but unfortunately the constant climate change can be disastrous
Marine Iguana - Only found on galapagos. They along the coast because thats where they find food(Algae and seaweed) and have the adaptive characteristic of salt glands on the nostrils to extract the extra salt intake. Marine Iguanas are cold blooded - outstanding swimmers and divers but can only stay in cold water for 10 minutes. Their dark color allows the sun to warm them up quickly. Prey of the Hawks. Hawk season is the same time as when iguanas keep their eggs, making them an easy target.
Sante Fe Iguana - stronger yellow color and more spikes
Rizarda Iguana - pink
For all 7 types of iguanas the males are larger than females. Their diets relies mainly on flies, scorpions, other insects. Iguanas also have good relationships with sea lions because iguanas eat the flies that are so bothersome to Sea Lions.
Red rock Crab - A curious animal. Eats algae and other marine organisms, and carcass washed on shore. Agile, can move quick in every direction. Young crabs have black coloring, adult crabs have brown/red color.
Brown Pelican - feeds off fish
Flamingos - Come from the caribbean islands
Ducks - Several thousand ducks reside across all the Islands of the Galapagos.
Lava Heron - feeds off fish
Albatros - 12,000 couples breed on espanola, largest bird on the island.
Frigot bird - attack and snatch food from other birds.
Penguin - now an endangered species due to being prey to sea lions and hawks
Black stone turner (bird) - Comes from north america
Woodbee - The only type of bee on the island that pollinates, hence why many of the flowers and plants are yellow in color.
Land on the Galapagos Islands: Throughout the year there are only 3 or 4 months for rainfall resulting in a shortage of water. Lava Rock and Cacti dominate the surrounding land.
Approximately 6 volcanoes erupt on a regular basis. The islands shift because its located on a tectonic plate moving from the west (has the youngest island) to the east (Oldest island - Espanola).
Evolution in the Galapagos (Finches)
Finches were first studied by Charles Darwin upon arriving on the Galapagos Islands, Daphne Major to be specific, 600 miles off of mainland Ecuador. After decades of studying and researching the many different species of finches, the findings derived that only one species arrived on the archipelago, evolving into the many different finch species that are seen today.
How did so many species come to be? In other words, how did one give rise to many different species, each adapting to different lifestyle?
2 million years ago a single finch population arrived from the mainland. When finch descendants arrive to a new island, they were forced to adapt, causing their traits to also change in order to survive, creating new species of finches. A major distinction between the 13 different finch species are the shapes and sizes of their beaks.
A few examples show the creating and adaptation of finches such as the drought in 1977. After the drought in 1977, medium ground finches with smaller beaks had difficulties obtaining food because the easily obtainable food remained higher up in trees causing 80% of medium ground finches to die. The surviving medium ground finches with larger beaks survived, mating amongst themselves. After years of reproduction, the offspring’s beaks were 4% larger on average than in previous years. Natural selection changed the average beak size (twice during a short time period).
5 years later, 1983, El Nino brought more rainfall than ever expected changing the lands vegetation. At this point, birds with longer beaks had difficulty obtaining food, so smaller beaked finches survived, mating amongst themselves creating a newer species of finches. As finches evolve and adapt, the different species do not mate outside of their own species. What keeps different species of finches from mating? The mates only respond to songs from their own species. Males only courted females similar in size and beak. (Appearance and size made a major difference.)
How did so many species come to be? In other words, how did one give rise to many different species, each adapting to different lifestyle?
2 million years ago a single finch population arrived from the mainland. When finch descendants arrive to a new island, they were forced to adapt, causing their traits to also change in order to survive, creating new species of finches. A major distinction between the 13 different finch species are the shapes and sizes of their beaks.
A few examples show the creating and adaptation of finches such as the drought in 1977. After the drought in 1977, medium ground finches with smaller beaks had difficulties obtaining food because the easily obtainable food remained higher up in trees causing 80% of medium ground finches to die. The surviving medium ground finches with larger beaks survived, mating amongst themselves. After years of reproduction, the offspring’s beaks were 4% larger on average than in previous years. Natural selection changed the average beak size (twice during a short time period).
5 years later, 1983, El Nino brought more rainfall than ever expected changing the lands vegetation. At this point, birds with longer beaks had difficulty obtaining food, so smaller beaked finches survived, mating amongst themselves creating a newer species of finches. As finches evolve and adapt, the different species do not mate outside of their own species. What keeps different species of finches from mating? The mates only respond to songs from their own species. Males only courted females similar in size and beak. (Appearance and size made a major difference.)
The Origin of Birds
There are currently 10,000 birds on the Galapagos islands but where did birds come from?
Began over 150 million fossil, the archaeopteryx, link between bird and reptiles. Archaeopteryx’s resemblance to a dinosaur due to 3 digits.
Birds are related to a branch of reptiles called dinosaurs.
Smaller dinosaurs such as Deinonychus, ran upright on 2 legs and a stiff tale for balance, refuting the notion that all dinosaurs are huge and lumbered.
What if dinosaurs were warm blooded and fast?
After much discovery in the 80’s, the bones of certain dinosaurs that had 3 digits and a claw (therapod) , brought lineage to birds to dinosaurs. The neck shape of dinosaurs and birds both resemble an S have, and group together in colonies.
In the mid 1990’s there was further discovery that a tiny therapod dinosaur called Sinasauropteryx from 120 million years ago had no scales but developed a furry like exterior.
Another dinosaur, the Caudipteryx, had no wings but feathers on tails and hands.
Wings have been modified for mobility when it used to be for grabbing and assistance.
Natural selection, those species that survived the astroid 66 million years ago, caused dinosaurs to adapt and evolve into birds.
Began over 150 million fossil, the archaeopteryx, link between bird and reptiles. Archaeopteryx’s resemblance to a dinosaur due to 3 digits.
Birds are related to a branch of reptiles called dinosaurs.
Smaller dinosaurs such as Deinonychus, ran upright on 2 legs and a stiff tale for balance, refuting the notion that all dinosaurs are huge and lumbered.
What if dinosaurs were warm blooded and fast?
After much discovery in the 80’s, the bones of certain dinosaurs that had 3 digits and a claw (therapod) , brought lineage to birds to dinosaurs. The neck shape of dinosaurs and birds both resemble an S have, and group together in colonies.
In the mid 1990’s there was further discovery that a tiny therapod dinosaur called Sinasauropteryx from 120 million years ago had no scales but developed a furry like exterior.
Another dinosaur, the Caudipteryx, had no wings but feathers on tails and hands.
Wings have been modified for mobility when it used to be for grabbing and assistance.
Natural selection, those species that survived the astroid 66 million years ago, caused dinosaurs to adapt and evolve into birds.
References
Aashtreker. (2013). Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu 2013. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO2KmnalAoI
Aceserve. (2011). Evolution in the Galapagos. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3265bno2X0&feature=youtu.be
Biointeractive. (2014). Galapagos Finch Evolution - HHMI BioInteractive Video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcM23M-CCog&feature=youtu.be
Biointeractive. (2015). The Origin of Birds - HHMI BioInteractive Video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4nuWLd2ivc&feature=youtu.be
Discovering Galapagos: A learning resource from GCT & RGS. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.discoveringgalapagos.org.uk
DocumentaryFree1. (2014). Wonders of the Galapagos Documentary. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Mou2_pH-w&feature=youtu.be&list=PLyOVSbari5z8dF-o3H7aY8PJpPwLesLOT
Francis, K. (2007). Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species. London: Greenwood Press.
Galapagos Islands Exercise Sust 2701. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/283861701?access_key=key- mNHaQIBTC0buMiogxvuL&allow_share=false&escape=false&show_recommendations=false&view_mode=scroll
Keller, M., & Fuller, N. (2009). Charles Darwin's On the origin of species: A graphic adaptation. New York, NY: Rodale.
TopDocumentaryFilms. (2012). ANIMALS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS HD. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_oN570Kjxs&feature=youtu.be&list=PLyOVSbari5z8dF-o3H7aY8PJpPwLesLOT
Aceserve. (2011). Evolution in the Galapagos. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3265bno2X0&feature=youtu.be
Biointeractive. (2014). Galapagos Finch Evolution - HHMI BioInteractive Video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcM23M-CCog&feature=youtu.be
Biointeractive. (2015). The Origin of Birds - HHMI BioInteractive Video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4nuWLd2ivc&feature=youtu.be
Discovering Galapagos: A learning resource from GCT & RGS. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.discoveringgalapagos.org.uk
DocumentaryFree1. (2014). Wonders of the Galapagos Documentary. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Mou2_pH-w&feature=youtu.be&list=PLyOVSbari5z8dF-o3H7aY8PJpPwLesLOT
Francis, K. (2007). Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species. London: Greenwood Press.
Galapagos Islands Exercise Sust 2701. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/283861701?access_key=key- mNHaQIBTC0buMiogxvuL&allow_share=false&escape=false&show_recommendations=false&view_mode=scroll
Keller, M., & Fuller, N. (2009). Charles Darwin's On the origin of species: A graphic adaptation. New York, NY: Rodale.
TopDocumentaryFilms. (2012). ANIMALS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS HD. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_oN570Kjxs&feature=youtu.be&list=PLyOVSbari5z8dF-o3H7aY8PJpPwLesLOT