Under these drastically changing conditions, the struggle to survive favored the larger birds with deep, strong beaks for opening the hard seeds. Smaller finches with less-powerful beaks perished.

Using digitization techniques, the researchers found that 14 distinct beak shapes, that at first glance look unrelated, could be categorized into three broader, group shapes. Despite the striking ...

For example, the cactus finch has a long beak that reaches into blossoms, the ground finch has a short beak adapted for eating seeds buried under the soil, and the tree finch has a parrot-shaped ...

Scientists have pinpointed a molecular basis for size variations in the beaks of Galapagos finches', a phenomenon observed by Charles Darwin more than a century and a half ago. "The idea is that these ...

They consult genetic scripture. Consider, for instance, the famous finches of the Galápagos. Darwin could see that their beaks were variously shaped—some broad and deep, others elongated ...

The innovative key to this discovery? The ghosts of future finches. The new study shows that beak-driven changes to songs themselves can impact species recognition, and thus drive the separation ...

The different finch species on the islands are closely related to each other, but show wide variations in beak and body size and feeding behaviour. In particular, changes to the size and shape of the ...

The paper, by S. Lamichhaneyat Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, and colleagues was titled, "A beak size locus in Darwin's finches facilitated character displacement during a drought." ...