Book Excerpt from The Science of Consequences

In Chapter 2, "Consequences and Evolution: The Cause That Works Backwards," author Susan M. Schneider places evolutionary theory in terms of the science of consequences.

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PROMETHEUS BOOKS, NOVEMBER 2012

Not many birds can upstage fifty pink roseate spoonbills and a supporting cast of thousands of shorebirds, pelicans, gulls, terns, egrets, and herons—even a regal peregrine falcon cruising by. I had spent an hour paddling the mud flats of the Everglades, barely navigable at low tide even for my kayak. Now, bobbing in the water at a distance, hoping against hope, I was panning through all the spoonbills with my binoculars when I noticed a distinctly different pink bird in the background. I knew immediately that this was one of the holy grails of Florida birding: an adult greater flamingo. Paler, younger flamingos foraged nearby. I watched for about an hour, pinching myself. At closer range, I could even make out details of that unique ...

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  • Susan M. Schneider

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