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Getbig Misc Discussion Boards => Religious Debates & Threads => Topic started by: 24KT on July 14, 2006, 03:00:47 AM
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Finches on Galapagos Islands Evolving
By Randolph E. Schmid, AP ONLINE
(http://cdn.digitalcity.com/aolca_articles/0d/00/20060713190109990007.44b6d14e-003a0-02fe2-400cb8e1)
Undated photo provided by the journal Science
shows a medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis)
on Daphne Major island, Galpagos. (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Finches on the Galapagos Islands that inspired Charles Darwin to develop the concept of evolution are now helping confirm it - by evolving.
A medium sized species of Darwin's finch has evolved a smaller beak to take advantage of different seeds just two decades after the arrival of a larger rival for its original food source.
The altered beak size shows that species competing for food can undergo evolutionary change, said Peter Grant of Princeton University, lead author of the report appearing in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
Grant has been studying Darwin's finches for decades and previously recorded changes responding to a drought that altered what foods were available.
It's rare for scientists to be able to document changes in the appearance of an animal in response to competition. More often it is seen when something moves into a new habitat or the climate changes and it has to find new food or resources, explained Robert C. Fleischer, a geneticist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and National Zoo.
This was certainly a documented case of microevolution, added Fleischer, who was not part of Grant's research.
Grant studied the finches on the Galapagos island Daphne, where the medium ground finch, Geospiza fortis, faced no competition for food, eating both small and large seeds.
In 1982 a breeding population of large ground finches, Geospiza magnirostris, arrived on the island and began competing for the large seeds of the Tribulus plants. G. magnirostris was able to break open and eat these seeds three times faster than G. fortis, depleting the supply of these seeds.
In 2003 and 2004 little rain fell, further reducing the food supply. The result was high mortality among G. fortis with larger beaks, leaving a breeding population of small-beaked G. fortis that could eat the seeds from smaller plants and didn't have to compete with the larger G. magnirostris for large seeds.
That's a form of evolution known as character displacement, where natural selection produces an evolutionary change in the next generation, Grant explained in a recorded statement made available by Science.
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
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www.icr.org/article/2477/ (http://www.icr.org/article/2477/)
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Finches on the Galapagos Islands that inspired Charles Darwin to develop the concept of evolution are now helping confirm it - by evolving.
A medium sized species of Darwin's finch has evolved a smaller beak to take advantage of different seeds just two decades after the arrival of a larger rival for its original food source.
The altered beak size shows that species competing for food can undergo evolutionary change, said Peter Grant of Princeton University, lead author of the report appearing in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
Certainly doesn't support the view that birds evolved from some other kind of animal. I'll pay attention when finches evolve into dogs or something, not when their beaks become smaller.
And isn't it strange how the alleged transition from one animal to another stopped?
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Seems like "adaptation" is more of an accurate word :-\
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Seems like "adaptation" is more of an accurate word :-\
Slow adpatation over millions of years will lead to eventual EVOLUTION.
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I dont think any christian ever said a species cant evolve. But like Beach Bum said when one species can become a new one I'll believe it with my own eyes
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Who was talking about one species becoming another? The article is about Finches evolving
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Who was talking about one species becoming another? The article is about Finches evolving
Since you posted it here Jag I figured you were playing devils advocate and saying" see it can happen" to which my reply would be " i agree it can happen, inner species evolution is very possible". As far as man developing from an amoeba- never happened cut and dry!
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Who was talking about one species becoming another? The article is about Finches evolving
I don't know. Maybe it was the first sentence of your post: "Finches on the Galapagos Islands that inspired Charles Darwin to develop the concept of evolution are now helping confirm it - by evolving." :-\
The theory of evolution involves "one species becoming another."
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The theory of evolution involves "one species becoming another."
It involves alot of things. Are you saying speciation is the only form of evolution?
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It involves alot of things. Are you saying speciation is the only form of evolution?
Nope. I'm saying there are different kinds of evolution. The evolution of a bird's beak is a far cry from the evolution of species.
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Nope. I'm saying there are different kinds of evolution. The evolution of a bird's beak is a far cry from the evolution of species.
Actually "Species" is defined as a population that no longer interbreeds with the other populations, even if it's possible to do so. Darwins finches of the Galapagos no longer interbreed with eachother. Thus they are seperate species.
Not only are they different species, They are also different Genus. Geospiza, Camarhynchus, Certhidea, and Pinaroloxias.
Yes. This is most definitely evolution at work.
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Actually "Species" is defined as a population that no longer interbreeds with the other populations, even if it's possible to do so. Darwins finches of the Galapagos no longer interbreed with eachother. Thus they are seperate species.
Not only are they different species, They are also different Genus. Geospiza, Camarhynchus, Certhidea, and Pinaroloxias.
Yes. This is most definitely evolution at work.
It is, as they say in Hawaii, "small kine" evolution. The evolution of a bird's beak isn't much different than the evolution of bugs that develop a resistance to pesticides. There is a huge leap from beak evolution to species evolution.
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It is, as they say in Hawaii, "small kine" evolution. The evolution of a bird's beak isn't much different than the evolution of bugs that develop a resistance to pesticides. There is a huge leap from beak evolution to species evolution.
Allow me to repeat myself...
Actually "Species" is defined as a population that no longer interbreeds with the other populations, even if it's possible to do so. Darwins finches of the Galapagos no longer interbreed with eachother. Thus they are seperate species.
Not only are they different species, They are also different Genus. Geospiza, Camarhynchus, Certhidea, and Pinaroloxias.
Yes. This is most definitely evolution at work.
Not only is it "evolution" at work it's Speciatiaon at work.
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Allow me to repeat myself...
Actually "Species" is defined as a population that no longer interbreeds with the other populations, even if it's possible to do so. Darwins finches of the Galapagos no longer interbreed with eachother. Thus they are seperate species.
Not only are they different species, They are also different Genus. Geospiza, Camarhynchus, Certhidea, and Pinaroloxias.
Yes. This is most definitely evolution at work.
Not only is it "evolution" at work it's Speciatiaon at work.
No it isn't. It's the evolving of a bird's beak.
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No it isn't. It's the evolving of a bird's beak.
Species=Taxanomic groups who naturally interbreed.
Those species of finches do not naturally interbreed. This means by definition they are different species.
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Species=Taxanomic groups who naturally interbreed.
Those species of finches do not naturally interbreed. This means by definition they are different species.
No, it's a finch with a different beak. It's still a bird.
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Welcome back Johnny :D
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Welcome back Johnny :D
That's not Johnny. He's dead. Not to speak ill of the dead, but he was a coward anyway and a pseudo-intellectual. Too bad he couldn't stick around and get pummeled. Pansy.
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No, it's a finch with a different beak. It's still a bird.
Last time I checked there was no such thing as a single species called "bird".