Evolution Revealed by Biochemistry by Charles G. Sibley Ph.D. ,
Professor of Zoology.
Cornell University
Is a flamingo a heron-like duck or a duck-like heron? Such questions have worried taxonomists, and it is not untrue to say that they have sometimes been deceived by fine feathers.
Now the problem is being tackled in a new way. It is known that the molecular structure of proteins is controlled by genes, so, by measuring some characteristics of proteins, one can get indications of evolutionary relationships. Professor Sibley has worked on the egg-white of hundreds of birds, and from this has thrown new light on their evolution.