Islands spark accelerated evolution

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Giant tortoises at the Darwin Station on Isla Santa Cruz in the Galpagos Islands. (Photo: Catriona MacCallum)
Giant tortoises at the Darwin Station on Isla Santa Cruz in the Galápagos Islands. (Photo: Catriona MacCallum)

The notion of islands as natural test beds of evolution is nearly as old as the theory itself. The restricted scale, isolation, and sharp boundaries of islands create unique selective pressures, often to dramatic effect. Following what’s known as the “island rule,” small animals evolve into outsize versions of their continental counterparts while large animals shrink.


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