THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS |
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Page 6
In like manner parts of North America and Europe are very similar in all
essentials of soil climate and vegetation, yet the former has racoons, opossums,
and hummingbirds; while the latter possesses moles, hedgehogs and true
flycatchers.
In like manner parts of North America and Europe are very similar in all
essentials of soil climate and vegetation, yet the former has racoons, opossums,
and hummingbirds; while the latter possesses moles, hedgehogs and true
flycatchers.
Page 62
It is because New Zealand, in addition to its negative merits, possesses three
families of birds (Apterygidae living, Dinornithidae and Palapterygidae extinct),
and a peculiar lizard-like reptile, Hatteria, which has to be classed in a distinct
order, ...
It is because New Zealand, in addition to its negative merits, possesses three
families of birds (Apterygidae living, Dinornithidae and Palapterygidae extinct),
and a peculiar lizard-like reptile, Hatteria, which has to be classed in a distinct
order, ...
Page 71
This however is not true. The Palaearctic region is well characterized by
possessing 3 families of vertebrata peculiar to it, as well as 35 peculiar genera of
mammalia, and 57 of birds, constituting about one-third of the total number it
possesses.
This however is not true. The Palaearctic region is well characterized by
possessing 3 families of vertebrata peculiar to it, as well as 35 peculiar genera of
mammalia, and 57 of birds, constituting about one-third of the total number it
possesses.
Page 73
It possesses 22 peculiar families of vertebrates; 90 peculiar genera of mammalia,
being two-thirds of its whole number; and 179 peculiar genera of birds, being
three-fifths of all it possesses. It is further characterized by the absence of several
...
It possesses 22 peculiar families of vertebrates; 90 peculiar genera of mammalia,
being two-thirds of its whole number; and 179 peculiar genera of birds, being
three-fifths of all it possesses. It is further characterized by the absence of several
...
Page 74
Two portions can be marked off as possessing many peculiar forms; the luxuriant
forest district of equatorial West Africa, ... Its productions are indeed highly
interesting; since it possesses 3 families, and 2 sub-families of mammals peculiar
to ...
Two portions can be marked off as possessing many peculiar forms; the luxuriant
forest district of equatorial West Africa, ... Its productions are indeed highly
interesting; since it possesses 3 families, and 2 sub-families of mammals peculiar
to ...
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Common terms and phrases
absence abundant affinities Africa allied animals appear arctic Asia Australia belong birds Borneo Celebes Central Ceylon changes character characteristic China classed climate closely common comparatively confined connection consider considerable consisting Cosmopolite deposits developed distinct distribution district doubt east Eastern Eocene epoch equally Ethiopian Europe European existing extend extinct fact fauna feet forests forms genera genus groups Guinea Hemisphere Himalayas important India indicate inhabit insects interesting Islands Japan Java known land less limits living Madagascar Malayan mammalia means Miocene Moluccas mountains natural Nearctic nearly Neotropical North northern occur ocean Oriental Palaearctic peculiar genera perhaps period Philippines Pliocene portion possesses present probably range recent relations remains remarkable represented separate ſº South America southern species sub-region Sumatra Sylviidae temperate Thibet tropical types various West whole region wholly wide Zealand Zoological
Popular passages
Page 150 - Yet it is surely a marvellous fact, and one that has hardly been sufficiently dwelt upon, this sudden dying out of so many large mammalia, not in one place only but over half the land surface of the globe.
Page 328 - India consisting mainly of granite and old-metamorphic rocks, while the greater part of the peninsula is of tertiary formation, with a few isolated patches of secondary rocks. It is evident, therefore, that during much of the tertiary period,* Ceylon and South India were bounded on the north by a considerable extent of sea, and probably formed part of an extensive Southern Continent or great island. The very numerous and remarkable cases of affinity with Malaya, require, however, some closer approximation...
Page 37 - Straits, so that it is possible to go from Cape Horn to Singapore or the Cape of Good Hope without ever being out of sight of land ; and owing to the intervention of the numerous islands of the Malay Archipelago the journey might be continued under the same conditions as far as Melbourne and Hobart...
Page 278 - ... wonderful aye-aye (Chiromys) , the insectivorous Centetidae, and carnivorous Cryptoprocta, among the Mammalia. They speak to us plainly of enormous antiquity, of long-continued isolation, and not less plainly of a lost continent or continental island, in which so many, and various, and peculiarly organized creatures, could have been gradually developed in a connected fauna, of which we have here but the fragmentary remains.
Page 328 - ... much of the Tertiary period, Ceylon and South India were bounded on the north by a considerable extent of sea, and probably formed part of an extensive Southern Continent or great island. The very numerous and remarkable cases of affinity with Malaya require, however, some closer approximation with these islands, which probably occurred at a later period. When, still later, the great plains and tablelands of Hindostan were formed and a permanent land communication effected with the rich and highly...
Page 57 - Eegions in the first place, from a consideration of the distribution of mammalia, only bringing to our aid the distribution of other groups to determine doubtful points. Regions so established will be most closely in accordance with those long-enduring features of physical geography, on which the distribution of all forms of life fundamentally depends;* and all discrepancies in the distribution of other classes of animals must be capable of being explained, either...
Page 67 - ... who cannot recognize the essential diversity of structure in such groups as swifts and swallows, sun-birds and humming-birds, under the superficial disguise caused by adaptation to a similar mode of life. The application of Mr. Allen's principle leads to equally erroneous results, as may be well seen by considering his separation of 'the southern third of Australia' to unite it with New Zealand as one of his secondary zoological divisions."t Leaving Mr.
Page 44 - The introduction of goats into St. Helena utterly destroyed a whole flora of forest trees, and with them all the insects, mollusca, and perhaps birds directly or indirectly dependent on them.
Page 290 - The enormous disproportion between the mean height of the land and the mean depth of the ocean, which would render it very difficult for new land to reach the surface till long after the total submergence of the sinking continent. (2) The wonderful uniformity of level over by far the greater part of the ocean floor, which indicates that it is not subject to the same disturbing agencies which...
Page 76 - is undoubtedly a legitimate and highly probable supposition, and it is an example of the way in which a study of the geographical distribution of animals may enable us to reconstruct the geography of a bygone age. ... It...
Bibliographic information
| Title | THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS |
| Author | ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE |
| Published | 1876 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 17 veeb. 2006 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |