[SFRA-L] Story identification request

[Ryan Nichols]

Buzz Buzz Hive Mind,

May I fill your inbox with the following request for story identification?
I read a story, novella or novelette about a team of human explorers
including geneticists, ecologists, etc., who were investigating the native
life on a new planet. (Spoiler to follow so stop reading now if you're that
sort of person.) Though they appeared to discover no intelligent life, as I
recall, when a geneticist coded the genome of a large herbivorous animal
data indicated that the animal had descended from a species with higher
intelligence who had, researchers inferred, bred intelligence out of
themselves. Haunting, wonder-full story that I'd love to reread again if I
could identify it. I read it in a Dozois anthology--which narrows it down
lots, doesn't it. ;)

Also, I hereby request more philosophical mayhem on this excellent list.

Thanks for your help,
Ryan
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