[Taxacom] Seed plants of Fiji

[John Grehan]

Thomas,

I suggest you read the paper first to evaluate your prediction. As for
Hawaii, it does fit into the overall pattern of Pacific vicariism.

John Grehan

Dr. John R. Grehan

Director of Science and Collections

Buffalo Museum of Science1020 Humboldt Parkway

Buffalo, NY 14211-1193

email: jgrehan at sciencebuff.org

Phone: (716) 896-5200 ext 372

 

Panbiogeography

http://www.sciencebuff.org/biogeography_and_evolutionary_biology.php

Ghost moth research

http://www.sciencebuff.org/systematics_and_evolution_of_hepialdiae.php

Human evolution and the great apes

http://www.sciencebuff.org/human_origin_and_the_great_apes.php

 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-
> bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Thomas G. Lammers
> Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 1:06 PM
> To: TAXACOM at MAILMAN.NHM.KU.EDU
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Seed plants of Fiji
> 
> Hm.  Sounds to me as though someone has come to a conclusion first and
> subsequently cast about for data.  We do tend to find what we look for
...
> 
> So do really believe that vicariance is a one-size-fits-all
explanation
> for
> all biogeographic explanations?  I am always suspicious of simplistic
> explanations.  I am a lot more comfortable with admissions that
situations
> are complex, and there are different mechanisms operating in different
> situations.  I guess that's the difference between reductionism and an
> emphasis on diversity.
> 
> I don't know much about Fiji, but I would dearly love to see this sort
of
> viewpoint applied to the Hawaiian archipelago.  I think actual data
would
> lean a lot closer to Guppy, Carlquist, MacArthur & Wilson, etc. than
to
> any
> sort of vicariance.
> 
> At 11:30 AM 11/15/2006, John Grehan wrote:
> >Some recent molecular dispersalist papers have asserted words to the
> >effect that even if vicariance rule the continents, casual dispersal
> >still rule the waves (sorry about the really bad allusion to Rule
> >Britannia) when it comes to 'oceanic islands'. Of course such
assertions
> >are only sustainable by ignoring the extensive vicariism present in
> >oceanic settings, and it will be all the harder in light of what
Heads
> >brings to light in his latest account on the "Seed Plants of Fiji: An
> >ecological analysis". Theorists have talked about the false dichotomy
> >between ecology and history, but here it is put into practice. This
> >article may be accessed at:
> >http://www.sciencebuff.org/heads_publications.php
> >
> >
> >
> >Some may find his conclusion that the "Flora of Fiji and the Pacific
in
> >general has not been derived from immigrants from Asia or Australia,
but
> >has evolved more or less in situ" to be challenging, but the
challenge
> >lies in the empirical evidence of biogeography. He notes that "Taxa
have
> >survived as metapopulations on the ephemeral volcanic islands which
> >characterize oceanic subduction zones, hot spots, and crack spots
> >[please refrain from the obvious allusion], and on the atolls which
> >characterize areas of subsidence. Thus, a widespread central pacific
> >species pool, including regional and local endemics and their
ancestors,
> >has survived and evolved in the region for tens of millions of years,
> >and probably existed there even before the formation of the Pacific
> >basin".
> >
> >
> >
> >On ecology he ends with the observation that "Whether or not
geological
> >history has been important in every case, it seems unrealistic to
> >discuss altitudinal anomalies and the altitudinal range of
communities
> >and taxa in general without reference to the geological changes of
> >altitude caused by uplift, subsidence, and erosion.
> >
> >
> >
> >If nothing else the meta-population theorist should be happy to see
> >their ecological perspective given such a key role in the evolution
of
> >global biota.
> >
> >
> >
> >John Grehan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Dr. John R. Grehan
> >
> >Director of Science and Collections
> >
> >Buffalo Museum of Science1020 Humboldt Parkway
> >
> >Buffalo, NY 14211-1193
> >
> >email: jgrehan at sciencebuff.org
> >
> >Phone: (716) 896-5200 ext 372
> >
> >
> >
> >Panbiogeography
> >
> >http://www.sciencebuff.org/biogeography_and_evolutionary_biology.php
> >
> >Ghost moth research
> >
>
>http://www.sciencebuff.org/systematics_and_evolution_of_hepialdiae.php
> >
> >Human evolution and the great apes
> >
> >http://www.sciencebuff.org/human_origin_and_the_great_apes.php
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Taxacom mailing list
> >Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> >http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom
> 
> Thomas G. Lammers, Ph.D.
> 
> Associate Professor and Curator of the Herbarium (OSH)
> Department of Biology and Microbiology
> University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
> Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901-8640 USA
> 
> e-mail:       lammers at uwosh.edu
> phone:      920-424-1002
> fax:           920-424-1101
> 
> Plant systematics; classification, nomenclature, evolution, and
> biogeography of the Campanulaceae s. lat.
> 
> Webpages:
> http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/Lammers.htm
> http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/herbarium/herbarium.html
> http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Resort/7156/lammers.html
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> "Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that stood his ground."
>                                                                --
> Anonymous
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