Absense of evidence isn’t evidence of absense

Question

Why is this the case? Wouldn’t a lack of evidence hint at, but not necessarily prove that this could be the case?

In: Biology

Answer 1

The Romans believed that black swans didn’t exist. There’s a recorded saying in Latin translated as “a bird as rare upon the earth as a black swan” meaning something can’t happen. Then westerners made it to Australia and saw its black swan population in 1672.