In science, just-so stories are compelling because they’re simple, elegant, intuitive, and fun to tell. They’re entertaining, but not factually accurate (hence the pejorative). “How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin,” “How the Leopard Got His Spots,” and “How the Camel Got His Hump” offer moral, rather than scientific, explanations for evolution. The term is a reference to Rudyard Kipling’s collection of children’s fables that playfully use species traits as a framework for teaching kids important life lessons. Calling something a “just-so story” in science is almost universally intended as a criticism. Sometimes, what we think we know about the natural world is based more on story-telling than the scientific method. Girl’s preference for pink. Are these fact, or fiction? “Just-so stories” are named after Rudyard Kipling’s 1902 book of animal fables.
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