Darwin's finches

American  

plural noun

1. a group of Galapagos Island finches, observed by Charles Darwin, that provide striking evidence of speciation.

---

Darwin's finches British  

plural noun

1. the finches of the subfamily Geospizinae of the Galapagos Islands, showing great variation in bill structure and feeding habits: provided Darwin with evidence to support his theory of evolution

---

Etymology

Origin of Darwin's finches

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

A comparable pattern can be seen in Darwin's finches on the Galápagos Islands, which adapted to different food sources over time.

From Science Daily

For example, Darwin's finches illustrate how such changes can manifest: They have evolved different beak shapes adapted to various food supplies available on the Galápagos Island.

From Science Daily

Gompert notes replicated, long-term studies from natural populations, including research on the famous Darwin's finches, are rare.

From Science Daily

Take Darwin's finches: some evolved large beaks for nut-cracking, while others evolved small beaks for feeding on certain insects.

From Science Daily

And to be clear, even though the urban environment appears to help Darwin’s finches in the fight against avian vampire flies, no one is suggesting we pave over the Galápagos to save the birds.

From National Geographic