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There is now a new species of Galapagos sparrow! Furthermore, what more? It’s one of the first instances that scientists have seen speciation up close and personal in the field—and it happened in real-time! The findings of a recent study titled “Rapid hybrid speciation in Darwin’s finches” were published in Science.
How was the New Species of Galapagos Finch Discovered?
Over several years, scientists in the Galapagos could monitor the process of speciation in finches by tracking a specific population that lived on the small island of Daphne Major off the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island.
It all started in 1981 when the researchers above observed the arrival of a large male cactus finch, a non-native species, on Daphne Major. The male mated with a female medium ground finch, a local species, producing fertile young.
Forty years later, about thirty individuals remain as the number of progeny from these two separate species. The emergence of this new Galapagos finch in such a short period prompts fresh inquiries and discoveries, leading scientists to conclude that evolution can occur far faster than previously believed. This modifies our comprehension of the quick changes in evolution that happen in the area of speciation.
Just how different is this New Species of Galapagos finch?
This new species of Galapagos finch has distinctive behaviors and is unable to interbreed with other populations, setting it apart from its cousins found across the rest of the archipelago.
Not to mention, despite all the inbreeding with this new species of Galapagos sparrow, there have yet to be any… It was long thought that crossing two species would result in sterile progeny. However, new research has demonstrated that other creatures that have undergone speciation and birds can interbreed and produce even more fruitful offspring! The scientific term for this process is hybrid speciation.
Where did this new Galapagos species come from?
The cactus finch breed’s male is thought to have traveled 104 kilometers, or 65 miles, from its home island of Española in the Galapagos (which can be seen on our Eastern Islands Galapagos itinerary). Researchers are still baffled about how a bird of this size traveled so far to reach Daphne Major, but they know it is unlikely to return home.
This new species of Galapagos finch has adapted well to its surroundings, which is not usually the case when two different species mate. Their greater size has given them the opportunity to utilize fresh, untapped food sources on Daphne Major. The researchers are calling them the “Big Bird population” informally.
Researchers had assumed that the new species of Galapagos finches would mate with the native species on the island, but they have stayed true to their species, confirming that they are a closed breeding community. This is another surprising finding.
Please look at our list of iconic Galapagos species to help you decide which islands to visit while on vacation in the Enchanted Isles!
