witch’s broom n.— «Others are freaks of nature that arrived on a “witch’s broom.” That’s the term for a mutation that sometimes occurs on the branch of a normal tree and is characterized by a tight, dense mass of abnormally...
bean-bag genetics n.— «As Robert Brandon famously stated, genes are invisible to selection. Yet, population genetics assumes that the genes are visible to selection. How? Via phenotypes. But that is an oversimplified notion that a...
bully whippet n.— «When mutant, muscle-bound puppies started showing up in litters of champion racing whippets, the breeders of the normally sleek dogs invited scientists to take DNA samples at race meets here and across the country. They...
crypsis n.— «In those insect which gain protection from mechanisms other than crypsis (warning, threat and flash coloration), or even in those cryptic moths which benefit from resembling dead leaves, the melanics are rare, recessive, sub...
thunder run n.— «The plan for the convoy had gone through a number of permutations. At first it was seen by planners as a show of strength, with preparations worthy of a major invasion, including tank support and air cover—a...