The importance of islands in revealing evolutionary processes has been
recognized since Darwin’s work on the Galapagos (Darwin, 1909) and Wallace’s
work in the Malay Archipelago (Wallace, 1876). Since, island biogeography has
provided many elegant examples of the evolutionary mechanisms involved in
generating biodiversity, including geological processes and colonization and
isolation (Emerson, 2008; Gillespie et
al., 2008a; Parent et al., 2008).
Archipelagos such as Hawaii and the Galapagos (photograph above) provide examples where cycles of
evolutionary radiation have produced replicated patterns of endemic, often
bizarre, forms (Cowie & Holland, 2008; Dunbar-Co et al., 2008; Parent et al.,
2008). Yet, the extreme isolation of these islands reduces the interplay
between islands and continents—interchange is one-way (islands as sinks) and
limited to rare chance dispersal events (Cowie and Holland 2008). The West
Indies and island chains in the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mascarenes) are remarkable as they are sufficiently old and isolated to have
generated endemic forms, but close enough continents to sustain a dynamic
two-way interaction with diverse continental landmasses.
Our island biogeography projects seek to understand the generation of biodiversity on island archipelagos in relation to geographical isolation and dispersal abilities of taxa.
Our island biogeography projects seek to understand the generation of biodiversity on island archipelagos in relation to geographical isolation and dispersal abilities of taxa.
From Bocas del Toro, islets off the Caribbean coast of Panama
References
Cowie, R.H. and Holland, B.S. 2008. Molecular biogeography
and diversification of the endemic terrestrial fauna of the Hawaiian Islands.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 363:
3363-3376.
Darwin, C. 1909. The voyage of the beagle. New York, NY: P.F. Collier.
Dunbar-Co, S., Wieczorek, A.M. and Morden, C.W. 2008. Molecular phylogeny and adaptive radiation of the endemic Hawaiian Plantago species (Plantaginaceae). American Journal of Botany, 95: 1177-1188.
Emerson, B.C. 2008. Speciation on islands: what are we learning? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 95: 47-52.
Gillespie, R.G., Claridge, E.M. and Goodacre, S.L. 2008a. Biogeography of the fauna of French Polynesia: diversification within and between a series of hot spot archipelagos. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 363: 3335-3346.
Parent, C.E., Caccone, A. and Petren, K. 2008. Colonization and diversification of Galapagos terrestrial fauna: a phylogenetic and biogeographical synthesis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 363: 3347-3361.
Wallace, A.R. 1876. The Geographical Distribution of Animals: With a Study of the Relations of Living and Extinct Faunas as Elucidating the Past Changes of the Earth's Surface: Harper and brothers.
Darwin, C. 1909. The voyage of the beagle. New York, NY: P.F. Collier.
Dunbar-Co, S., Wieczorek, A.M. and Morden, C.W. 2008. Molecular phylogeny and adaptive radiation of the endemic Hawaiian Plantago species (Plantaginaceae). American Journal of Botany, 95: 1177-1188.
Emerson, B.C. 2008. Speciation on islands: what are we learning? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 95: 47-52.
Gillespie, R.G., Claridge, E.M. and Goodacre, S.L. 2008a. Biogeography of the fauna of French Polynesia: diversification within and between a series of hot spot archipelagos. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 363: 3335-3346.
Parent, C.E., Caccone, A. and Petren, K. 2008. Colonization and diversification of Galapagos terrestrial fauna: a phylogenetic and biogeographical synthesis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 363: 3347-3361.
Wallace, A.R. 1876. The Geographical Distribution of Animals: With a Study of the Relations of Living and Extinct Faunas as Elucidating the Past Changes of the Earth's Surface: Harper and brothers.
