The islands of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean were formed as a result of volcanic action in which small land masses were thrown up by submarine volcanoes - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 7 - 2010 - Paper 1
Question 7
The islands of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean were formed as a result of volcanic action in which small land masses were thrown up by submarine volcanoes. The youngest ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The islands of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean were formed as a result of volcanic action in which small land masses were thrown up by submarine volcanoes - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 7 - 2010 - Paper 1
Step 1
What assumption is made about the formation of strata when interpreting profiles such as this?
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Answer
The assumption made is that strata are laid down in chronological order. This means that the deeper layers are older than those above them, indicating a timeline of geological events.
Step 2
State a hypothesis to account for the disappearance of many of the bird species from the groups of islands.
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Answer
One hypothesis is that the disappearance of many bird species is due to predation by introduced species, such as dogs, or human activities leading to habitat destruction.
Step 3
Provide evidence to support your hypothesis.
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Evidence supporting this hypothesis includes the identification of bird remains in the strata corresponding to increased human settlement, which likely led to both habitat loss and increased predation pressure from domestic animals.
Step 4
What name is given to this small group of colonising individuals?
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This small group of colonizing individuals is known as 'founders'.
Step 5
Explain how the new and old colonies became separate species.
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Answer
New and old colonies can become separate species through a process known as 'allopatric speciation'. This occurs when populations are geographically isolated, leading to divergent evolution due to different environmental pressures and reproductive isolation over time.
