High School

Interactions between organisms and their environment impact the organism’s overall population. Oahu Amakihi and Kauai Amakihi are two closely related species of Hawaiian honeycreepers. They have a common ancestor, eat small insects and nectar, and prefer to nest in koa trees. However, one species is found on the island of Oahu, and the other is found on the island of Kauai.

Which concept shows the relationship between the Oahu Amakihi and the Kauai Amakihi?

Answer :

Answer:

The given association between the Oahu amakhi and Kauai amakhi can be illustrated by the notion of the competitive exclusion principle. In ecology, competitive exclusion principle is on certain occasions also termed as the Gause's law.

On the basis of this principle, the two species contending for the similar restraining resource cannot live together at the obstinate population values. Even if one of the species possesses a small advantage over the other, then the one with the plus will govern for a long time. This leads to either a behavioral or the evolutionary shift towards an altered ecological niche or the culmination of the weaker contestant.

Final answer:

The concept illustrating the relationship between the Oahu Amakihi and Kauai Amakihi is adaptive radiation, showcasing how species from a common ancestor can evolve to occupy different ecological niches in their isolated island environments.

Explanation:

The concept that shows the relationship between the Oahu Amakihi and the Kauai Amakihi is adaptive radiation. This biological process explains how species evolve from a common ancestor to fill various ecological niches within their environments. The diversification of the Hawaiian honeycreepers, including the Oahu Amakihi and the Kauai Amakihi, from a single finch-like ancestor is a classic example of adaptive radiation. These species have adapted to their specific island environments, developing unique characteristics that help them survive and thrive in their respective habitats.

The Hawaiian honeycreepers are noteworthy because they have radiated into a wide variety of species each adapted to a different niche, demonstrating how isolation on different islands has led to speciation through adaptive responses to distinct ecological conditions. This process is similar to the well-documented adaptive radiation observed in Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands. The physical separation between islands such as Oahu and Kauai has limited gene flow between the honeycreeper populations, further driving the evolutionary divergence of these species. The concept of adaptive radiation is supported by the varying beak shapes within the honeycreeper family, each corresponding to the specific dietary preferences and nesting habits of the species.