Final answer:
The quote does not have a known author and might relate to natural selection or human cognition. To explain quotations, contextual understanding and analogous research is necessary. Examining literature on evolutionary biology, human behavior, or cognitive abilities may provide insight.
Step-by-step explanation:
The quote “People that cannot distinguish rocks from coconuts exhibit a pitiable but praiseworthy tendency to die before reproducing their kind.” does not match directly to any well-known source or author. Instead, this task involves the understanding of quotations and their meanings, potentially relating them to themes of natural selection and survival presented in various literatures or philosophical contexts. To clarify quotations, it's helpful to consider the context in which they're used and to draw on analogous, well-documented sources.
For example, exploring the themes in the given quote, one may relate it to Darwin's theory of natural selection, where individuals unable to adapt (understand their environment) are less likely to survive and reproduce. Sources to investigate could include Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' or other works discussing evolutionary biology.
Interpreting quotations also involves examining language and rhetoric. The quote at hand may not be literal; instead, it could metaphorically represent human behavior or cognitive abilities, topics discussed in psychology or philosophy. Although no exact match was found in the provided references, a good strategy is to examine literature or philosophy texts that discuss human behavior, intelligence, and survival, such as those by Thomas Hobbes or Daniel Dennett.
Additionally, being able to accurately cite sources, like using a quotation from Aristotle to add credence to a concept (as in the expert example), proves essential when discussing or writing about quotations.