Simple Math Explains Dramatic Beak Shape Variation in Darwin's Finches

From how massive humpbacks glide through the sea with ease to the efficient way fungal spores fly, applied mathematicians have excavated the equations behind a variety of complex phenomena. The latest numerical feat zeroes in on perhaps the most famous icon of evolution: the beaks of Darwin's finches.

The new study demonstrates that simple changes in beak length and depth can explain the important morphological diversity of all beak shapes within the famous genus Geospiza. Broadly, the work suggests that a few, simple mathematical rules may be responsible for complicated biological adaptations.

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