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Figure 1. The medium ground finch Geospiza fortis

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Figure 1. The medium ground finch Geospiza fortis

The medium ground finch Geospiza fortis (illustrated here) diverged in beak size from the large ground finch (Geospiza magnirostris) on Daphne Major Island, Galápagos following a severe drought. This character displacement was strongly associated with variation at a genetic locus, HMGA2, with a major effect on beak size that has facilitated the adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches.
© Peter R. Grant
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  • Evolution in action detected in Darwin’s finches

    The most characteristic feature of Darwin’s finches is the diversification of beak morphology that has allowed these species to expand their utilization of food resources in the Galápagos archipelago. A team of scientists from Uppsala University and Princeton University has now identified a gene that explains variation in beak size within and among species. The study is published in Science.