Biogeography and Plate Tectonics (eBook)

J.C. Briggs (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

1987 | 1. Auflage
203 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-0-08-086851-6 (ISBN)

Infos

One needs to look at only a small portion of the enormous literature on plate tectonics published in the last 15 years to realize that there are many differences between the various reconstructions that have been presented. It becomes obvious that, although there is a general agreement about the presence of an assembly of continents (a Pangaea) in the early Mesozoic, there is considerable disagreement among earth scientists as to the configurement of the assembly and the manner and timing of the subsequent dispersal. While the revolution in geophysics was taking place, systematic work in paleontology and neontology was being carried out. This book is an attempt to incorporate the biological evidence into the theory of plate tectonics.

The author traces the changing relationships among the various biogeographic regions and demonstrates how such changes may often be correlated with the gradual geographic alteration of the earth's surface. He analyses recent information about the distribution of widespread groups of terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates, invertebrates and plants, and discusses the biogeographical effects of the movement of oceanic plates.

It is particularly important to obtain dependable information about certain critical times in the history of continental relationships. We need to know when the terrestrial parts of the earth were broken apart and when they were joined together. The present investigation makes it clear that we cannot depend entirely on evidence from plate tectonics nor will purely biological evidence suffice. This book thus provides much of interest to systematists working on contemporary groups of plants and animals, paleontologists, evolutionary biologists, and professors teaching courses in biogeography.

Inhalt

Front Cover 1
biogeography and plate tectionics 4
Copyright Page 5
Contents 12
Preface 6
Acknowledgements 11
Introduction: The development of the science 14
In the beginning 14
The geological connection 17
Evolutionary biogeography 18
The advent of continental drift 22
The rise of vicarianism 23
The present work 26
Part 1: The Northern Continents 28
Chapter 1. The North Atlantic connection 30
Chapter 2. The North Pacific connection 34
Chapter 3. The Caribbean connection 46
Chapter 4. The Indo-Australian connection 58
Chapter 5. Northern continents summary 66
Part 2: The Southern Continents 70
Chapter 6. New Zealand 74
Chapter 7. Australia 80
Chapter 8. Antarctica 94
Chapter 9. South America 98
Chapter 10. Africa 114
Chapter 11. Madagascar 128
Chapter 12. India 136
Chapter 13. Southern continents summary 144
Part 3: The Oceans 152
Chapter 14. The oceanic plates 154
Conclusions 170
Appendix: Biogeographer’s maps 180
References 190
Subject Index 208

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.8.1988
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geografie / Kartografie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Mineralogie / Paläontologie
• Themenwelt: Technik
• ISBN-10: 0-08-086851-7 / 0080868517
• ISBN-13: 978-0-08-086851-6 / 9780080868516