Peter Grant of Priceton, a biologist studying Galapagos finches, has watched one particular physically smaller species for more than twenty years as a physically larger species of finch moved in on their territory, ate their food, and starved the larger individuals, leaving only the smaller individuals to continue the species. As a result, the species in question now has smaller beaks than when the invaders first came in 1982.
And in case you're wondering about the legitimacy, this work was funded by the NSF, and is being published in the peer-reviewed Science magazine.
14 July 2006
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That seems quite reasonable, ZP. I don't see why anyone would question such a finding. With selective pressure, you'd expect changes in the breeding population to be conserved.
Of course if you're hoping to cut short the ID folk, good luck. They don't follow rational arguments well, ZP.
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