About this book
This book traces global changes in geography and biology from the Precambrian to the Recent, examines the evolutionary effects of the major extinctions, and discusses contemporary biogeographic regions within the context of their historic origins.
Contents
Part 1 History of the science: in the beginning, 19th century, 20th century, the advent of continental drift, the rise of vicarianism, the present work. Part 2 Historical biogeography: Precambrian and early Paleozoic - Precambrian, Cambrian period, Ordovician period, end-Ordovician extinction; later Paleozoic - Silurian, Devonian, Frasnian, extinction, carboniferous-Permian, end-Permian extinction; early Mesozoic - Triassic, late-Triassic extinction, Jurassic, Jurassic extinctions; late Mesozoic - Cretaceous, marine patterns, terrestrial patterns, flora, freshwater fauna, higher vertebrates, Australia, India, Cretaceous extinctions, Cenomanian-turonian, Cretaceous/tertiary boundary; Paleogene - Peleogene, marine patterns, terrestrial patterns, Eocene, marine patterns, terrestrial patterns, Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar, India, Antillean relationships, Oligocene, marine patterns, terrestrial patterns; Neogene - Miocene, marine patterns, terrestrial patterns, a miocene extinction?, Pliocene, marine patterns, terrestrial patterns, Pleistocene, marine patterns, terrestrial patterns; historic extinctions - historical development, tempo of the extinctions, scope of the extinctions, effects on global species diversity, a common cause?, biogeography and evolution. Part 3 Contemporary biogeography: marine patterns, part 1 - latitudinal zones, Indo-West Pacific region, the East Indies - a centre of origin?, the age gradient, onshore-offshore gradients, barrier effects, disjunct patterns, centre of origin alternatives, modes of speciation, distribution patterns, discussion, Indo-West Pacific subdivisions, Eastern Pacific region, Western Atlantic region, Eastern Atlantic region, relationships of the tropical shelf regions, east Pacific barrier, new world land barrier, mid-Atlantic barrier, old world land barrier, latitudinal barriers; marine patterns, part 2 - warm-temperature regions, southern hemisphere, northern hemisphere, cold-temperate regions, southern hemisphere, northern hemisphere, the cold (polar) regions, the Antarctic region, the Arctic region, the Pelagic realm, Epipelagic and Mesopelagic zones, Arctic and Antarctic Nathypelagic zone, Hadopelagic zone, deep Benthic realm, vertical distribution, horizontal distributions, diversity and origin, the marine system; terrestrial patterns - animals, freshwater habitat, terrestrial habitat, plants, bryophytes and pteridophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms; significant patterns - antitropical distributions, marine environment, isothermic submersion, terrestrial environment, flora, fauna, discussion, hypothesis, island life; species diversity - land and sea - global diversity, terrestrial, marine, latitudinal gradients, vertical, gradients, longitudinal gradients, diversity and conservation; epilogue.
Customer Reviews
