1. a. What observations can you make about the overall shape of each graph? (Imagine that you are drawing a line that connects the tops of the horizontal bars.)
The shapes of the distributions look like bell curves and also show normal distribution.

b. What do the shapes of the two graphs indicate about the distribution of beak depth measurements in these two groups of medium ground finches?
The shapes of the two graphs indicate that there is variability in the beak depth trait among the birds and that most birds have beak depth measurements that arrive right around the mean.

2. Compare the distribution of beak depths between survivors and nonsurvivors. In your answer, include the shape of the distributions, the range of the data, and the …show more content…
Are the means in smaller samples different from the means in larger samples? Explain why you think that is.
None of the means equal the mean beak depths of the 50-finch samples. Since each bird was randomly selected from the larger group, the means are different also since there is considerable variation in the beak depth in the population; it is unlikely that the mean of any reduced sample will match up with the mean of the larger field.

b. Are the standard deviations in smaller samples different from standard deviations in larger samples? Explain why you think that is.
The standard deviations of both groups of birds decrease with increased sample size. The standard deviation can increase or decrease even with a small sample size based on sampling and can provide a broad range regardless of the sample size.

8. Which results (i.e., from 5, 15, or 50 birds) do you think are closer to the means and standard deviations of the entire population of medium ground finches on the whole island? Explain your answer.
9. What is one advantage and one disadvantage of calculating the mean from a sample of a population rather than the entire …show more content…
13. The Grants say in the film that a key trait that made the difference in survival for the birds during the drought was beak depth. Is that conclusion consistent with the data presented in this activity (including Part B)? Explain your answer.
The beak depth on surviving birds was much bigger than the birds that did not survive. The body mass size and wing lengths were also superior on the surviving birds. If a larger body mass is the consistent effect from having a larger beak as well as larger wings, than the conclusion presented in the activity seems to be dependable with the data.

14. Explain why the Grants concluded that beak depth may have played a more important role in survival during the drought than wing length or body mass. Correctly use the terms natural selection, adaptation, and fitness in your