Charles Darwin encountered a tiny fox-like creature during his famous voyage but instead of discovering its fascinating evolutionary story, he just knocked it on the head with his geology hammer.Darwin got the credit for discovering this species of fox, but didn't figure out how it supported evolution by natural selection. People usually give that distinction to the Galapagos finches, but it was originally the Galapagos mockingbirds that got his attention. Only later did he and others realize the archipelago's finches made better examples. This includes me, as I show Galapagos finches in my evolution lectures when I explain adaptive radiation.
Enough of today's science holiday. Stay tuned for Paczki Day/Fat Tuesday tomorrow.
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