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Which mechanism of microevolution caused the beak of medium ground finch population in Daphne major to increase in size from 1976 to 1978?

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With only 20 mm of rainfall in 1977 compared to the 120mm the year before. This left the food source scarce, meaning the medium ground finches had VERY limited food, the population went from 751 to 93,  only 12.4% of the population survived.

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The change of the average size medium ground finch beak from 1976-1978 was due to drought, the evidence provided concludes it was caused by natural selection: Survival of the fittest.

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Thus being said, the finches were out of food, and food is essential to every living thing. Some of the finches died, the ones who lived had to adapt to live and be able to reproduce.

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The drought made seeds VERY scarce, the portulaca seeds went from 8 per m² to 0 per m² and the tribulus to 4 or 5 per m²

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Everything that happens in the world and life is chain reactions, a plant doesn't sun or water, it dies.  The same goes with humans and animals, they don't get food & water, they die. The food was scarce after the drought. Meaning some finches got some food and others didn't thus they died. Making the population drop and making the survivors adapt to live and get other food sources. The medium ground finches needed to adapt to eat the Tribulus seeds, the tribulus seeds where the only seeds left but they were much harder to crack open.

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Daphne Major Started with 751 medium ground finches, it ended with 93 Finches. The surviving finches needed something to eat as the Portulaca seeds had all died from lack of water. The finches needed to adapt so they could crack open the seed.

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Lab 18. Environmental Change and Evolution: Which 
Mechanism of Microevolution Caused the Beak of the 
Medium Ground Finch Population on Daphne Major to 
Increase in Size From 1976-1978, gave the evidence in this Padlet

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The average beak size of the population in 1976 was 9.65mm-10.71mm. The average beak size in 1978 was 10.55mm-11.61.

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We now know that the beaks did grow, meaning theses finches adapted to the environment to survive, in doing this they were able to crack open the Tribulus seeds.