4. Which of the following factors did not contribute to the genetic diversification of the Galápagos Island finches studied by Darwin? a. Environmental conditions vary among the different islands. b. Most of the islands are sufficiently distant from one another such that movement among their populations is limited. c. The islands are only 100 km from Ecuador, so they receive a continual input of new genes from the mainland. d. Occasional migrants to new islands rarely interbreed with endemic species. e. Over time, the residents of each island have developed their own genetic distinctiveness.
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c. The islands are only 100 km from Ecuador, so they receive a continual input of new genes from the mainland.
The Galápagos Islands are indeed about 1000 km (not 100 km) from the mainland of Ecuador, making it difficult for a continual input of new genes from the mainland. This relative isolation has been one of the key factors contributing to the genetic diversification of the finches on the islands since the movement of genes between the mainland and the islands has been very limited.