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Nature 442, 515-516 (3 August 2006) | doi:10.1038/442515a; Published online 2 August 2006
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Evolutionary biology: How to build a longer beak
Nipam H. Patel1
Abstract
Evolutionary changes in the beaks of Darwin's finches have been instrumental in the adaptive radiation of these birds. The molecular basis for variation in beak size and shape is opening up to investigation.
A classic illustration of nature's ability to generate morphological diversity comes from the finches that inhabit the Galapagos Islands. The beak shapes of these finches are remarkably diverse, and — as described on page 563 of this issue1 — Abzhanov and colleagues have uncovered one of the mechanisms involved in achieving this.
- Nipam H. Patel is in the Departments of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Integrative Biology, and at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3140, USA.
Email: nipam@uclink.berkeley.edu
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