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Learn more about the unique flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands |
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The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles, or 970 kilometers, west of Ecuador. Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835 while traveling on the HMS Beagle and studied the animal life there. He was particularly interested to observe how animal species had adapted, over a long period of time, to conditions in an isolated part of the world. You can learn more about the unique flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands by preparing your own field guide. Here's how: 1. Form five teams with each team being responsible for preparing a field guide for one of the five major Galapagos islands: Isabela, Fernandina, San Cristobal, Santiago and Santa Cruz. 2. Assign members of your team to research topics to include in your field guide. Research hint: This websites linked are a great place to find background information and related links to Galapagos sites. You can also read Q & A's with members of an expedition team. 3. Here are a few topics to include in your field guide (you may think of more): • A description and illustration of the island's physical habitat and how it was formed. • Photographs or illustrations of the island's plants, mammals, birds, insects and reptiles. • An overview of any ways species have adapted to their habitat. • Current research being conducted on the island. 4. When your field guide is complete, present your findings to the rest of the class. *Look for instances of how species vary from island to island in the Galapagos and discuss any variations the teams' reports uncover. *Can you come up with theories or explanations to account for these variations? 5. Take advantage of the cyber field trip archived linked on this site to update your field guide with information and photos sent back by the expedition team on many species it encounters. 6. Think about endemic species versus introduced species. Endemic species of animals or plants are those that are native to certain geographical areas and restricted to those areas; introduced species are those brought into an area where they would not naturally exist). What plant and animal species are endemic to your geographic area? Which species are introduced? 7. Answer the following questions on the last page of your field guide: A. Why are island populations so important in the study of animal adaptation? B. What significant evidence do sea mounts provide about the history of the animals located today on the Galapagos Islands? C. What adaptations must deep water organisms make as they are brought up for study from the deep sea environment? D. What is meant by evolution through natural selection? E. Many people believe, incorrectly, that the phrase "survival of the fittest" means only the strong survive. What does "survival of the fittest" really mean? |