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The Origin of Species: The Beak of the Finch

15 minutes 59 seconds

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Graphic of island with birds that are similar except for coloring. Caption: They had become distinct species.

Over the past four decades, evolutionary biologists Rosemary and Peter Grant have documented the evolution of the famous Galápagos finches. They track changes in body traits directly tied to survival, such as beak length, and identify behavioral characteristics that prevent different species from breeding with one another. Their pioneering studies have revealed clues as to how 13 distinct finch species arose from a single ancestral population that migrated from the mainland 2 million to 3 million years ago.

Media Details

Runtime: 15 minutes 59 seconds

Multi-sailed ship on the ocean as seen from above. Caption: Darwin jumped at the chance to sail around the world
The Origin of Species
Episode 1
30 minutes 56 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Graphic of island with birds that are similar except for coloring. Caption: They had become distinct species.
The Origin of Species
Episode 2
15 minutes 59 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Graphic of four islands close to each other. Each island has lizards on it. Caption: evolved independently on each island.
The Origin of Species
Episode 3
17 minutes 49 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12