>I'm having some trouble with the eagles and ospreys drowning idea. Seems
>birds that went after fish too big and couldn't let loose wouldn't pass
>on their genes. End of problem. What would make such drownings an ongoing
>hazard?
>
>Steven S. Coles

It doesn't work quite like that, Steven. Birds do things all the time that
lower their individual fitness, for example getting caught by predators,
notwithstanding that selection is pushing hard on their adaptations to
avoid predation. There's always a normal curve of behavior, and there will
always be eagles and ospreys at the edge of that curve. In addition, it
may be that something about reflections on the water or some other variable
can make them misjudge the size of potential prey.

Think of all the things people do that aren't adaptive, and we're at least
a little smarter than hawks.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416