Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Plural form of finch.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • There are 13 finches from the same family (Fringillidae); the most remarkable divergence of these species is their beak structure and specialized feeding capabilities.

    Galápagos Islands xeric scrub 2007

  • If you claim myosins, kinesins, and dyneins came about through a selected mutation process the argument by analogy inherent to the claim is that a stochastic process observed to allow beak adaptation in finches and the many observed examples of unicellular adaptation is capable of generating the examples cited.

    Analogy, How Scientifically Powerful is It? 2006

  • The generation-to-generation natural selection of Galápagos finches is particularly fascinating — it shows evolution as a process that isn’t always slow, and anything but steady, but something very much alive.

    Waldo Jaquith - Evolutionary forms. 2008

  • An infestation of Canadian brown finches, which is a small -- I guess I should have seen that one coming, huh?

    CNN Transcript Jan 25, 2008 2008

  • This contrasts notably with the distributional pattern of the finches, which is a tangled skein.

    The Song of The Dodo David Quammen 2004

  • This contrasts notably with the distributional pattern of the finches, which is a tangled skein.

    The Song of The Dodo David Quammen 2004

  • The distinguishing feature of the finches is a massive beak, admirably adapted to the husking of the grain on which the members of the family feed largely.

    Birds of the Indian Hills Douglas Dewar 1916

  • Those exposed to stress in early life were later found to be much more sensitive to it as adults compared with the "laid-back" finches, which is likely to be bad for the health.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph 2011

  • Birds on Galapagos Islands develop antibodies to fight alien parasites WASHINGTON - In a new research, University of Utah biologists have found that birds called finches have developed antibodies against two parasites that moved to the Galapagos Islands, suggesting that the birds can fight the alien invaders.

    Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 AP 2010

  • Darwin first studied the wildlife of the islands taking note of the evolution of the landbirds such as finches and mockingbirds that adapted to a specific niche in the available habitat.

    Galápagos Islands xeric scrub 2007

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