The Friends of Charles Darwin

A unique fly from the Canary Islands has helped shed light on one driving force behind the birth of new species, Nature magazine reports this week. The type of robber fly is found nowhere else, and scientists speculate that the rich biodiversity on the islands may actually have led to its emergence. The researchers think sharing an island with a myriad of other lifeforms may push one species to spawn another. This new theory adds fresh insight into how biodiversity arises.