The Origin of Species: The Beak of the Finch

Topic

Resource Type

Level

Middle/Junior High High School — General High School — AP/IB College

Duration

00:15:54

Saved By

84 Users

View in Spanish

Description

This film explores four decades of research on the evolution of Galápagos finches, which has illuminated how species form and diversify.

Evolutionary biologists Rosemary and Peter Grant spent four decades tracking changes in body traits directly tied to survival in the famous Galápagos finches. They also identified behavioral characteristics that prevent different species from breeding with one another. Their pioneering studies documented natural selection in real time and revealed clues about how 13 distinct finch species arose from a single ancestral population that migrated from the mainland 2 million to 3 million years ago.

The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, along with key concepts and connections to curriculum standards.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

adaptation, ecological niche, speciation, trait

Primary Literature

Grant, Peter R., and B. Rosemary Grant. How and Why Species Multiply. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2008.

Weiner, Jonathan. The Beak of the Finch. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1994.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria. Video files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 11.12.13

Date Updated 11.26.19

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.A, HS-LS3.B, HS-LS4.B, HS-LS4.C

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1, EVO-3, SYI-2, SYI-3

IB Biology (2016)

5.1, 5.4, C.1

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6, 2.7

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5

Educator Tips

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.

Educator standing in front of a photograph of a bird.

1-Minute Tips

The Beak of the Finch

Samantha Johnson describes how she uses the short film "The Origin of Species: The Beak of the Finch" to demonstrate to her students how quickly selective pressure can affect a population, as well as to show that not all science is done indoors.

1-Minute Tips

Beaks as Tools

Jason Crean describes how he uses BioInteractive's "Beaks as Tools" activity to supplement understanding of Rosemary and Peter Grant's research on the evolution of the Galápagos finches.

View Article

1-Minute Tips

Sorting Finch Species

Cindy Gay describes using two BioInteractive resources to teach her students about evolution. She first shows them the short film "The Beak of the Finch," which describes research by biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant on the Galápagos finches.

View Article