Nov 24– From "The Origin of Species" (1859) by Charles Darwin

 I wonder if you could evolve Avatar proof cabbages.

Nov 24– From The Origin of Species (1859) by Charles Darwin

Summary: Stuff evolves differently in captivity. Sometimes seemingly unrelated traits change in sync.

Commentary: As I've said on a couple of the other Darwin excerpts, it's fascinating to see him supporting Lamarckism:

With animals the increased use or disuse of parts has had a more marked influence; thus I find in the domestic duck that the bones of the wing weigh less and the bones of the leg more, in proportion to the whole skeleton, than do the same bones in the wild duck; and this change may be safely attributed to the domestic duck flying much less, and walking more, than its wild parents. The great and inherited development of the udders in cows and goats in countries where they are habitually milked, in comparison with these organs in other countries, is probably another instance of the effects of use. Not one of our domestic animals can be named which has not in some country drooping ears; and the view which has been suggested that the drooping is due to disuse of the muscles of the ear, from the animals being seldom much alarmed, seems probable.

While it's possible that some of this is due to cows with bigger udders being bred more, the leg and ear parts are clearly more related to the life to life exercise of the individual animal and its parts, not something we'd identify as inheritable.