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Multiple Choice
The animals on the Galápagos Islands inspired whom to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection?
A
Alfred Russel Wallace
B
Charles Darwin
C
Gregor Mendel
D
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the context of the question. The Galápagos Islands are famous for their unique biodiversity, which played a significant role in the development of evolutionary theory.
Step 2: Recall the key figures in the history of evolutionary biology. Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, Gregor Mendel, and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck are all important contributors to biological sciences, but their contributions differ.
Step 3: Focus on Charles Darwin. Darwin visited the Galápagos Islands during his voyage on the HMS Beagle and observed variations in species, such as finches, which led him to propose the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Step 4: Compare Darwin's work to the other figures mentioned. Alfred Russel Wallace independently developed a similar theory of natural selection but did not visit the Galápagos Islands. Gregor Mendel is known for his work on genetics, and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed an earlier, now largely discredited, theory of evolution based on the inheritance of acquired traits.
Step 5: Conclude that the animals on the Galápagos Islands specifically inspired Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection.