Question

What did the author mean when noting that Galapagos cormorants split off from other cormorants?

Answer 1

The author meant that the Galapagos cormorants and the mainland cormorants shared a common ancestor. However, at some point during evolutionary history, the Galapagos cormorants evolved into their own species.

Answer 2

The author takes note of the fact that the cormorants of the Galapagos islands are the only species of all the 40 species of the world to have lost the ability to fly. Geneticists have indentified the gene mutation that is responsible for this divergence. It is also postulated that the cormorants of the Galapagos may have lost flight due to abundant prey on the island, and lack of predators, hence giving less significance to flight.