History of Biogeography

ENVS120. History of Biogeography


History of Biogeography
• Like most other disciplines, biogeography can be traced
back to Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC)
• Aristotle suggested a view of a dynamic earth to help
d explain variation in life over
space and n time




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,ENVS120. History of Biogeography


History of Biogeography




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,ENVS120. History of Biogeography


Persistent themes in biogeography
1. Classifying geographic regions based on their biotas


2. Reconstructing the historical development of lineages
and biotas, including their origin, spread, and
diversification




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, ENVS120. History of Biogeography


Persistent themes in biogeography
3. Explaining the differences in numbers as well as types
of species among geographic areas, and along
geographic gradients including area, isolation, latitude,
elevation and depth




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