The Beak of the Finch: A Story of
Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan
Weiner
On Complexity Of Nature
Rosemary and Peter Grant and those assisting them have spend twenty
years on Daphne Major, an island in the Galapagos studying natural
selection. They recognize each individual bird on the island, when there
are four hundred at the time of the authors visit, or when there are over a
thousand. They have observed about twenty generations of finches --
continuously.
Jonathan Weiner follows these scientists as they watch Darwins finches
and come up with a new understanding of life itself.
`The Beak of the Finch is a book on evolution which was the recipient of
the nonfiction Pulitzer Prize. That and the fact that it was only about 300
pages clinched my interest. I knew I was embarking on a light and thought-
provoking journey.
Jonathan Weiner wrote this book primarily about the work of two scientists:
Peter and Rosemary Grant, and their thorough study of evolutionary
effects on finches of the Galapagos archipelago. They spent twenty years
traveling to the islands, meticulously recording all the necessary statistics
of how the birds had undergone physiological change in order to adapt and
survive the harsh and ever-changing environment. Their intention as
scientists was to witness evolution in progress. The book also included a
variety of topics, such as introduction to Darwin and his thought; artificial
evolution and other experiments on natural selection done in labs. But the
star characters are the Darwins finches.
Here are some of the observational data that were recorded by the Grant
expeditions.
Sudden and enduring changes in rainfall were the primary killers of
finches. When drought came, various plants were becoming very rare.
Some seeds - which were accessible to most finches during normal
season with adequate amount of rain - started to disappear due to scarcity
of water. The only seeds left had shells which were difficult to penetrate.
The finches with the right beaks were able to crack open those shells. If a
finchs beak was even less than one millimeter smaller than what was
needed, it died of starvation. During drought, many more males
persevered than females because males were larger. That was in 1977.
In 1983 El Nino rolled through the islands. The system brought a huge
flood and a flip happened in natural selection. As opposed to drought, and
contrary to common sense, large birds started to disappear and small ones
were prospering. The results were at first puzzling. Later it was understood
that during abundant rainfall there were many more small seeds than big
ones. Large, evolutionary advanced finches had bigger appetites and were
not content with small nuts. They could not compete with small finches
which needed fewer seeds to live. In this case smaller finches multiplied,
thus sort of regressing to a simpler time when the whole populations of
these exotic birds were small in size.
But why from time to time do different kinds of finches come to a near-
extinction only to reappear and prosper. The reason is the diversity of food
and the adaptive capabilities. Different beak requires a different seed.
Thats why when the seasonal rains ended, the finches moved apart and
specialized: each one settled in the area with the right kind of seed for its
particular size and shape of beak. They inadvertently sought efficiency in
consuming nutrition. The wonders of nature!
Its a very entertaining book that, while being educational, isnt
overbearingly academic. Many people are so engulfed by their hectic lives
that they need a reminder of how interesting the world is outside their
home or office. This book will definitely show you that.
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