Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
In order to analyze a fauna, Simpson considered five basic elements:
(1) systematic classification of all groups present, implying their phylogenet-
ic relationships; (2) ecological characteristics of each group; (3) antiquity of
each group within the region; (4) geographic source of each group; and (5)
current geographic affinities of each group.
Philip J. Darlington Jr. (1904-1983), a U.S. entomologist, was not a dis-
ciple of Matthew, but his work can be ascribed to the New York school
of zoogeography. He was one of the last biogeographers to advocate dis-
persal over fixed continents as an explanation for current distributional pat-
terns (Funk 2004). Darlington's (1957)
Zoogeography,
a classic biogeo-
graphic textbook, represents the climax at Harvard University of the New
York school near the end of its development (Nelson and Ladiges 2001).
It contains detailed accounts of the global distributional patterns of fresh-
water fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, continental and is-
land patterns, evolution of the patterns, transition zones, and zoogeographic
principles. Darlington (1957:25-35) discussed seven working principles for
zoogeography:
1. Formulate working principles before work is begun.
2. Work with facts rather than opinions, so far as possible, and understand
the nature of the “facts” worked with.
3. Define and limit both the work to be done and the factual material to be
worked with.
4. Present the selected material fully and fairly.
5. Remember that animals are living things, which are constantly evolving
and multiplying in some place, and dying out in others, and thus forming
new geographic patterns.
6. Understand and use fairly the clues to geographic histories of animals.
7. Try working hypotheses when facts fail, remembering always that the hy-
potheses are not facts.
Darlington(1957)characterizedtransitionzonesasareaswhereregional
faunas meet or are separated by partial barriers, with overlapping of faunal
elements, with progressive subtraction, in both directions. Transition zones
and genera. He described the main transition zones of the world and their
