Date: February 6, 2019
Source: University of Cambridge
Some
corners of the world teem with an extraordinary variety of life. Charles Darwin
noted that: "The same spot will support more life if occupied by very
diverse forms."
The
question of how these 'hotspots' of biodiversity -- from California to the
Galapagos -- acquired such a wealth of species has long puzzled naturalists.
Now,
scientists at the University of Cambridge have conducted a 'big data' study of
almost all the world's mammal and bird species to reveal the answer -- and it's
very different depending on climate.
According
to the study, tropical hotspots close to the equator have generated new species
at a much faster rate than their surrounding areas during the last 25 million
years of evolution.
However,
biodiversity hotspots in more temperate northerly regions, such as the
Mediterranean basin and Caucasus Mountains, are mainly populated with immigrant
species that originated elsewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment