Help with these questions?

Question

I've read the book beak of the finches by jonathan weiner but i could not find the answers to these questions. Please try to answer them, you do not have to answer all.

Chapter 12

1. Do Benkman's and Lindholm's research on crossbills support the notion that gradual evolution can lead to the appearance of complex adaptations? Explain.

2. How are the stickleback fishes in British Columbian lakes by Dolph Schluter and John Donald McPhail similar to Darwin's finches.

Answer 1

I can answer only number two sadly.

The stickleback fishes show support for a common ancestor.  In B.C. lakes, there have been multiple species found at different zones in the lake.  Some of these lakes are fairly new, less than 25000 years or earlier, and the diversity of the stickleback species is amazing.  Darwin saw different species of Finches which were highly characterized based on their diet and habitat.  The same is true for the stickleback fishes in these lakes, they are smaller, or larger, different colors, etc, based on their habitat.

I hope this helps you.