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'Evolution happens much quicker than Darwin thought'

The evolutionary expert discusses the triumphs and challenges of the groundbreaking research on Galápagos Islands finches she undertook with her husband, Peter

Darwin spent five weeks there in 1835 on his journey around the world, and the islands were key to solidifying the concept of evolution through natural selection [put forward in On the Origin of Species in 1859]. He reasoned that their diversity in terms of body size and beak shape evolved over time as they adapted for feeding on different food sources [which vary by island]. This remarkable and unexpected process began with the arrival of a single male large cactus finch ( Geospiza conirostris) on Daphne from an island in the far south of the archipelago.

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