families

[Allan Shanfield]

What really intrigues me is "how" families seemingly survived, speciated
over time and outcompeted others perhaps. Dipterocarps is one example by
their numerous guilds (one spp. a dry site, other more mesic, etc..) as M.
Ashton posited [and mycorrhizal saps/shrubs/trees also]. And what of the
Laurasian intrusions into (many) tropical mountains - at expense of more
Neotropical (mostly Gondwanan elements it seems from recalling Raven and
Axelrod's paper). Selection doesn't really have to be at the family level
but rather at the individual level (godknows what problem "group
selection" brings forth).

Thus, in the Great American Biotic Interchange (and other collisions)
there was mixing, presumed competitions and winners that reflect at the
family level (realizing earlier contact occured previously and back
further likely in W and E Gondwanaland.

Superior floras? Superior spp? Is it enigmatic that in gaps Trema (a
Laurasian) outperforms Neotropic/Paleotropical pioneers too - of course
not always...

The notion of "superior floras" fortunately was never taken up by
politicians for their own purposes.

Superior? If "yes": But how, what parameters to test I wonder.

I'm learning a lot from this thread and many thanks.

Sincerely,

Allan Shanfield


Dept. of Env. Hort.
1 Shields Ave.
UC Davis
Davis, CA 95616